Labor of Love
by Bellajewels
Summary: After defeating the Snow Queen and Belle's banishment of Rumple Emma and Killian set out on a new and unexpected journey...parenthood. This is going to be a multi-chapter story going through her entire pregnancy, birth, and potentially into the early stages of parenting.
1. Chapter 1

Emma Swan lazily stirred, stretching out in her bed as the morning sun filtered in through the half open blinds across the room. She reached across the bed to find the spot beside her empty. In the past waking up in bed alone after a night with a man would have left her panicked. Her walls shooting back up to defend herself against the onslaught of feelings of not being good enough and not being worthy of love. Those days were behind her now, although periodically the feeling still plagued her like a ghost clinging to their loved ones. Most days though she woke and felt like finally she was secure in the life that she was living. From her place in the bed the smell of coffee wafted into the room and almost of their own volition her feet started to make their way to the floor. She slipped on the bathrobe that lay on the chair next to the bed and slipped her feet into the slippers that were set out for her ready to be put on. She never put them there. Not the robe or the slippers. They were left daily wherever she took them off at to get dressed for the day. Without fail though when she crawled into bed the next night the robe was laying on the chair and the slippers were by her bed. The routine had become familiar and she had come to love it. She walked out of the bedroom and as she headed towards the kitchen another smell, one that she didn't recognize, assaulted her nose. The smell permeated the hallway and she felt her stomach flip flop. Within seconds she felt the bile rising up in her throat and she ran in the direction of the bathroom. Barely making it she emptied the remnants of last nights dinner into the toilet. She pulled her hair back out of her face and back into a ponytail with the black elastic band she kept on her wrist at nearly all the times. After making sure that she was finished vomiting she went to the sink, brushed her teeth and gargled some mouthwash, and splashed some water on her face before attempting to go the kitchen again. When she reached the entrance to the kitchen she smiled at the sight of Killian sitting at the counter reading the paper with Henry sitting next to him ready the comics. "Morning boys."

"Hey Mom. I'm gonna stay at Mom's tonight is that okay? She's been a little down since Robin had to leave town and I guess I just want to be there for her." She stroked his hair and kissed the top of his head as she made her way to the coffee pot to grab herself a cup of the heavenly liquid that had drawn he from her bed before she had unexpectedly gotten sick to her stomach. "She raised a good boy. Of course you can stay with her. You have a way to get to school from there so I don't see any reason why not. Speaking of school you better hurry up on that cereal mister. You've got to take off within the next five minutes or you're going to be late for class. I know that your teacher is no Ms. Blanchard but she's still a stickler for punctuality."

"Got it." He laid down the comics page, took the last bite of his cereal and then headed off to his bedroom. Back in the kitchen Emma settled herself at the counter next to Killian and took a sip of her coffee. "While I love waking up to the smell of coffee what was that atrocious smell coming from in here? It was awful." He looked up from the paper with a bemused look on his face. "It was just bacon love. It got a little crispy but it was far from burnt."

"Hmmm. That's strange. Normally I love the smell of bacon but that really did a number on me. Made me sick. Maybe we need to check the packaging so that next time we don't buy that brand."

"We can do that but I think it's the kind that you normally buy. I don't think it was out of the ordinary."

"Maybe I'm getting a bit of a bug. I was exhausted when I woke up even though I got a good nights sleep last night. After everything with Elsa and the Snow Queen it's probably just my body finally lowering its defenses, and it was pretty chilly here for a while."

"Six weeks seems like a pretty long time for it to catch up to you love."

"Not really. I've been feeling sluggish for a couple weeks now. I just haven't said anything."

"You don't have to do that anymore you know?"

"Do what?"

"Keep that type of thing to yourself. I'd be happy to care for you but I can't do it if you don't share that you're not well."

"It wasn't that I wasn't well. Just tired. There's not a lot that you can do about that."

"Well, I could not keep you up half the night."

"There are prices that I'm willing to pay for a little sleep. That is not one of them." A flirtatious smile crept across his face as he leaned over to press a kiss to her lips. Like always their kiss didn't stop at a chaste little peck. As his lips caressed hers she returned the kiss with equal fervor, causing the kiss to deepen. They continued kissing until they heard a noise from the doorways. They turned and saw Henry standing there, a deep shade of red, gawking at them. "Like you've never seen two people kiss before Henry."  
>"Not my mom and not like that." Now it was Emma's turn to turn a deeper shade of red. Sometimes she forgot that unlike her he had been sheltered in those regards. Intimate moments were a stranger to him and she wanted to keep it that way. "You're right kid. We'll keep the PDA's to a minimum." He nodded and headed to the door. "I'm going to go straight to Mom's after school. Is that alright?"<p>

"Yeah. Just give me a call before you go to bed. I don't want to miss the opportunity to say goodnight."

'Okay. Bye Mom. Bye Killian." As they said goodbye he closed the door behind them and they were alone again in the apartment. "So are you still feeling sluggish then love?"

"Yeah, but you can't stay in bed all day."

"Well, you can. Your father can handle the sheriff station today, and we are currently without a foe to best. If you were to need to take a day to rest now would be the time to do it. Coincidentally I don't have any place of dire importance that I need to be. Perhaps a nap would do the sheriff some good?"

"Killian, I'm not going back to bed."

"Okay. Then how about we just settle in for a quiet day here. We'll watch that Netflix that you're always going on about and order some pizza for lunch?" Emma thought about it but when her mind settled on the thought of pizza the queasy feeling returned to her stomach and she made a mad dash to the bathroom. This time Killian followed behind her, concerned about the illness that seemed to be upon her. After she had once again emptied her stomach of the content into the toilet she went through the process of cleaning herself up again. "When you said that the smell of the bacon made you sick earlier is this what you meant?" She nodded as she patted her face dry again. "Perhaps you need to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Whale love?"

"It's a little flu bug Killian. You and I will have a casual day here and by tomorrow I'm sure that I'll be fine. I'm going to the room to get dressed. I'll be out in a few minutes and we can pick a movie to watch on the Netflix, as you call it." She smiled before turning the corner to her bedroom. Over the last couple of weeks it had begun to feel more and more like their bedroom. His vest was laying on the dresser, which she had cleared space in weeks ago so that he had a place to put his clothes when he stayed over. Which was happening more and more lately. She tried to summon up that old sense of dread that she used to have at getting too close to someone but was unable to. This life she had she no longer felt like she had to fear it. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the next villain descended upon the town. It was always just a matter of time. Whenever she started to get anxious about it though Killian noticed it on her face and simply said, "Let's enjoy the quiet moments love." It had become a reminder to her to breathe. To take time to appreciate the life that she had been blessed with. She stepped over to the dresser and reached into her underwear drawer before stepping out of her robe and grabbing a pair of underwear and a bra. She slipped her underwear on and then put the bra on, securing it on the last clasp. As she reached down to the next drawer to grab a pair of yoga pants and an oversized sweater she realized that the bra felt like it was cutting into her skin. She undid it and put it on the middle clasp, thinking nothing of the fact that this bra had always been a little bit too big on her. She had chosen it for the simple fact it was going to be comfortable for a day of lounging around the house. "Hey Killian?"

"Yeah Swan?"

"Can you bring me the phone? I need to call David and tell him I'm not coming in."

"On my way love." He was at the door with the phone in a matter of seconds but stopped at the doorway. "If I didn't know you were too sick to be in the seducing mood love I'd think you were trying to entice me."

"Well, I don't know that I'm too sick but since we don't want to get you sick as well we should probably leave the enticing to another time."

"Pity," he said as he glanced up and down her body. "You look bloody amazing." She smiled and took the phone from his hand, throwing the sweater over her head as she did so. She dialed David's number and waited while the phone rang. "Hello. Sheriff Nolan. How can I help you?"

"Hey David. It's me."

"Hey Emma. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you'd be able to handle all the crazy Storybrooke crime for today? I woke up this morning and I seemed to have picked up a bit of a stomach bug. Killian is going to stay with me and we're just going to have a lazy day here at home." She paused briefly as she said that her and Killian were going to stay at home. She knew that she thought of it as her home but at some point she had also started thinking of it as his home as well. He still had his room at Granny's as a fail safe but he hadn't slept there since the first night that they spent together five weeks before. After the Snow Queen had been defeated and Gold's plan was foiled it hadn't taken long for her to get on the ball with getting her own place. Surprisingly there were perks to being the town sheriff that she hadn't realized before. No one had every informed her that built into her agreement with the city was that an apartment was a part of her employment terms. The house was a cute little two bedroom near the docks. When you walked in from the street you immediately entered into a small foyer with a staircase leading upstairs, the living room off to the left of the foyer to one side and a closet immediately to the right of the foyer. The hallway led straight back to the kitchen and an open dining room, which then opened into the living. Emma loved the open floor plan. Upstairs there was another sitting room that you immediately stepped into from the staircase. On the right side of the sitting room was a small bedroom, where Henry stayed when he was with them. On the left side of the sitting room was a bathroom and further down off the sitting room was a master suite which included a walk in closet and a slider that opened to a balcony overlooking the docks. It really was a dream home that seemed to be custom made for their little family. Once again Emma stopped herself as she realized that she was beginning to think of Killian, Henry, and herself as a family. "You sure it's just a bug? Do you want your mother to come over and check on you?"

"No, I'm sure it's just a bug. I've been feeling it coming for a few days. I've been super tired. I love Mom but please don't send her over. Henry is going to be with Regina today and I think it will be nice for Killian and me to spend some time together."

"I don't think time together is something that you and Killian lack, Emma. In fact I've begun wondering if you guys are attached at the hip." Emma didn't miss the slight tone of jealousy in her fathers voice. She knew that he was supportive of her relationship with Killian but she also knew that he was concerned about his daughter, the princess, being with a pirate reformed as he may be. "David, we're not together all the time, and in case you didn't remember I did almost lose him just six weeks ago. Most of the time we're together we're with you and Mom, Henry, Regina, or other people. It's very rare actually that we get to spend time alone together. Besides Mom has Neal and the last thing she needs to do is come over here with him, or even get a babysitter, and get whatever I have. It's better to just quarantine myself and ride it out."

"What about Killian?"

"David, he practically lives here. Trust me if I'm sick he's gonna get it. But I've got to go. Killian's waiting for me in the living room. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. See you tomorrow." As she hung up the phone she felt bad about the way that she spoke to her father. It was easy to get annoyed by her parents attempts at parenting, because she'd never had that in her life before. However they had never gotten to be the overprotective parents to their daughter and despite all the curses that everyone had endured overprotective came naturally to them. She pulled her hair out of her ponytail holder and quickly threw it up on the top of her head in a messy bun. She pulled on the yoga pants she had laid on the bed before she called David and walked out to the sitting room. "So what did your father have to say?"

"Nothing much. He wanted to know if I wanted him to send Mary Margaret over. Naturally I said no. I'm kind of looking forward to having a day here at home with you." One again she paused at the word home and she noticed that Killian's hand stilled on the TV when she said it. Apparently it hadn't escaped his notice either. "I was thinking Killian..." She took a deep breathe and closed her eyes aware of the fact that she should probably stop and think about what she was doing. But with him there, dressed in a pair of dark wash blue jeans and a button down plaid shirt that David had helped him pick out, she couldn't bring herself to think things through rationally. That was usually how she ended up find a way to screw up her happiness anyways. "You were thinking what love?" He was back at motion turning on the TV and setting it up for Netflix. For all his comments that made it seem like he had no knowledge of how modern technology worked he had actually become rather adept at it. "I was thinking that maybe it's time that you gave up your room at Granny's. You're here most nights anyways. There's no point in you paying for a room that you don't even sleep in."

"Emma love if I live with you I don't want it to be because we're trying to be fiscally responsible. I don't want to officially make your home my home unless it's what we both want, for no other reason than we want to be together. I have little need for money in this world and it's not an inconvenience to keep the room at Granny's." For a brief moment she felt rejected. She had opened up to him and he had refused her. After taking just a minute to think about it though she realized that what he had given her was a great gift, even if it was dressed in a rejection of sorts. He didn't want to live with her to save himself money. He only wanted to live with her if he knew that it's what she wanted. When she had asked she wasn't sure but now that he had turned her down he was completely sure. "Do I have to do all the work in this relationship Hook?" He stopped fiddling with the electronics at the uncharacteristic use of his more colorful moniker and turned to look at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well you didn't ask me out. I had to make that move. Now I have to be the one to ask to live together. I thought you were supposed to be a dashing rapscallion."

"And a gentleman love. I'm always a gentleman."

"A gentleman wouldn't turn down a lady in need."

"I didn't say that I don't want to live with you Swan. I said that I don't want to live with you for convenience or because we fell into it. It's a big step in your time but keep in mind that I'm not from your time. Cohabitation without marriage is practically unheard of in my time."

"Milah lived on the seas with you and you weren't married."

"Milah was married to another man. Our relationship was not an acceptable one by society standards. Adultery is far more taboo than cohabitation in my time and we did both. What we're talking about here is way different. I loved Milah. She was my first love, but everything was different with her. With you I'm not looking for the kind of relationship I was then. I want a life with you. A real life. Not just with you but with Henry. I don't want to feel like I'm taking you away from something or that you only want me because you want the danger and the freedom my life can offer. When I start my life with you I want it to be one that we can build on. I'm not a young man anymore."

"Well...you've held up pretty well for your age pirate." She grinned at him, in awe of the fervor she heard in his voice. She knew that he cared for her but more and more she was beginning to trust it. To believe it. "I love Milah before I went to Neverland. When I lost her I was no older than you are now. I was young and carefree. It was the pirate's life for me but it's been over three hundred years. I want to settle down to a life. That's what I'm looking for for us. I don't want to rush it because it's convenient."

"I understand." He turned back to the TV for a moment before she said, "Killian, move in with me."

"I thought we just talked about this."

"We did. But this time I want to make it clear why. Why it was from the beginning. It was never because of convenience. It was always because when I wake up in the morning I love having you next to me. When I woke up this morning and you weren't next to me in bed for the first time in my life I wasn't afraid of being left. I knew that you were somewhere nearby because you leaving isn't something I can imagine. If I can't imagine you leaving me then why shouldn't you be here with me all the time. I want a life with you too. It's been more than I could ever imagine for so many years but it's what I want. So Killian Jones will you please move in with me?"

"Well with an emotional plea like that how could I refuse. Yes love. I will move in with you. Now what does the lady with the bug feel like watching today?"

"How about Peter Pan?"

"Not funny Swan. I've seen pictures of their image of me and it is appalling. I do not wish to sit through your worlds perception of my supposed buffoonery."

"A little sensitive don't you think Captain? It is just a children's cartoon after all." He grabbed the remote and found his way to the corner of the couch, blanket in hand. As soon as he sat down she curled up next to him, throwing the blanket over their legs and curling her legs at her side. "Why don't we just watch whatever is on TV for a while. I'm good just sitting here with you. I don't need anything else really." He smiled and kissed the side of her head while scrolling through the on-screen guide. After a while they settled on a cheesy reality show but it wasn't long before they had fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks passed and their familiar routine became even more familiar. More and more Henry opted to stay with Regina, as she was still struggling with the loss of Robin and Roland. Much of the time it was just Emma and Killian in the little seaside home. On the mornings he was there Emma almost always woke to the smell of coffee but they had made sure not to buy that particular brand of bacon anymore. Unfortunately she noticed that she was getting sick even more frequently, and not just at the scent of bacon. She found herself running to the bathroom to empty her stomach several times a day, at the most random of scents. After a week or so of this she found herself on edge far more than she would like. On the second Friday after Killian moved in she was definitely not feeling the love quite as much as she had been just a couple weeks before. "Killian, where are my tennis shoes?"

"In the closet love. Your side, near the back."

"Is that where I left them?"

"No, you left them right in the middle of the doorway after your run. Henry came running in after school yesterday to grab something before going to Regina's and nearly broke his neck tripping over them. So I put them where they belong."

"Did I ask you to do that?"

"Well no love but I hardly think it's a thing to get quite so worked up about."

"It is something to get worked up about. You are acting like I can't take care of myself. Laying out my robe and slippers, putting away my shoes. I am not a child Killian. Perhaps I'm a little messier than you would like but I am a grown woman and I can leave my shoes wherever I darn well please."  
>"Of course."<p>

"Don't pacify me. If you feel that I'm being ridiculous tell me."

"Of course you're not being ridiculous."

"Just stop. Don't you remember when we first met you would challenge me on anything? Why don't you do that anymore? You're always so quick to give me my way."

"Well love you tend to be happier when you get your way and I happen to like making you happy." For the first time since their conversation started a smile swept over her face and she looked at him with adoration. "You do make me happy. So happy. I can't believe how happy you make me." He looked at her strangely and asked, "Love are you alright? You just went from angry with me to completely in love with me in about six seconds."

"I'm always in love with you." As soon as the words left her mouth Emma felt herself stop. Although they lived together they had never said I love you. They showed each other every day and so the words never felt important. She figured that he knew. He had thought of telling her many time but if there was anything that he was an expert at it was all things Emma Swan. Too much too fast sent her running for the hills. So he opted to deal with the wide array of emotions that she'd been having and tried to be as loving as he could be. His eyes tried to read hers to find out if she had meant what she said and he finally settled on simply asking her. "Swan, did you...?"

"Mean it? Of course I did. Do you really doubt it?"

"I felt like you did. Like you felt like I do but we've never said it. I was afraid that it was because you weren't quite there with me yet." She took a step closer and put her arms around his neck. His arms came up behind her, pulling her flush with his body. "I am right here with you. I love you Killian. So much more than I ever thought I could."

"I love you too Emma. Completely." A half smile crept onto her face before she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently. After the kiss ended he looked down at her and chuckled. "What?"

"This declaration was brought on by you yelling me about moving your shoes. Hardly the romantic story for the ages. Best get ready for work lass. No more sick days, even though you are still losing your meals on a regular basis." She reached into the dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a sweater and took off the t-shirt she had worn to bed the night before. She stepped into the jeans and pulled them on but when she tried to button them she found that they were too tight. "Killian, did you try to do the laundry again?"

"No. Why?"

"My pants seem to have shrunk. And these are my bigger jeans."

"You don't look any larger to me love."

"I did notice that my bra had gotten a little bit small a couple weeks back."

"I guess I had noticed in the midst of passion that you seem to be a little bit larger in that area." In a flash Emma thought back on the last few weeks. Her clothes didn't fit, her breasts were getting larger, she had been sick, and overly emotional. The last time she had felt like this was when she was pregnant with Henry. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. Her and Killian had always been careful about protection, with the exception of the first night that they'd been together. He had just gotten his heart back and all she cared about was being close to him. Of cherishing the feel of being with him since she had come so close to losing him. That night she had let passion get the better of her. She hadn't realized that she had frozen in her efforts to get dressed. "Everything alright Swan?"

"You need to call David and tell him that we're not going to be in today. There's something that you and I have to do."

"What's that?"  
>"We need to go to the drugstore."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later Emma and Killian silently waited in the bathroom staring at the stick that was going to tell that if their lives were about to be changed forever. Killian paced while Emma sat in apparent calm on the edge of the bathtub. While she appeared to be calm her mind had been racing from the moment she realized that she might be pregnant. How had she missed this? She'd been pregnant before and her period, which normally came like clockwork, hadn't come in more than a month. Counting back she realized that she had to be six or seven weeks pregnant at this point. She had attributed all the changes in her behavior to stress, completely missing some very obvious clues. "How much longer until the test is done Swan?"

"Should just be another minute or so." As if on cue the timer that she had set on her cell phone went off and she nearly lunged for the test that was sitting on the counter. She held it face down and took a step towards Killian. "Are you ready to find out if you're going to be a father?"  
>"Are you ready to find out if you're going to be a mother again?"<p>

"Yeah. I am." Despite the fact that she was nervous about the results there was a feeling that she couldn't put her finger on somewhere inside her. Taking a deep breath she tuned the test over and looked down at the little screen. She had tried to find one that would be clear and accurate. It appeared that this one wasn't. The screen was completely blank. No smiley faces, no lines. Nothing indicating whether or not she was pregnant. "Swan what does that mean?" She picked up the instructions and read over them. In the fine print it did mention that the tests weren't foolproof and that one in a certain percentage would be faulty. "I guess it's back to the drugstore then."

"Should we talk first Swan?"

"About?"

"What we want." She looked down at the faulty test in her hand and felt anxiety roll over her. Was this the part where he tells her that he loves her but he doesn't want any children? That he doesn't see a family with her in his future? "Okay. Let's go in the living room and talk. Then I'll run back to the drugstore and get another test." She set the test back on the counter and they walked back out to the sitting room. He settled on one end of the couch and she sat on the other end, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her forearms on them. "So..."

"How do you feel about this Swan?"

"I don't know. I guess I just want to know if I am before I get too worked up about it. What about you? Is this something you want? Don't want?"

"It's not something that I had spent a lot of time thinking about. For all my youthful glow I'm not a young man. I stopped dreaming of children and home long ago. It was only when I met you and Henry that I started to believe that home was something that I could have again."

"So how do you feel about family?"

"You and Henry are my family love."

"And how do you feel about expanding it?" The question hung in the air between them. Finally he spoke again. "If I'm being completely honest I'm afraid that it's too soon. While we love each other, undoubtedly, we've only started this new life together. We're not married and in my time a child was generally something reserved for the bonds of marriage." She looked down at her arms on her knees and bit at the inside of her lower lip, attempting to fight back the tears she felt pricking the back of her eyes. It was almost exactly how she felt, except for the part about being married, but she was still disappointed that he didn't want to have a baby with her. "If you're not pregnant I think waiting for a while, until we're more settled, would be the best thing. But if you are Emma I promise you that I will be beyond thrilled." He was taken aback when she stood suddenly and walked over to the door. Before opening it she looked back at him, eyes full of doubts and concern. "How can you be sure? If you don't want it now how can you be sure that you'll suddenly want it if I am pregnant." She didn't wait for an answer before opening the door and walking out.

Emma left the house and found herself turning towards the docks, instead of the direction of the drugstore. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She couldn't fault Killian for not being ready for a baby. She wasn't sure that she was either. The last time that she had been pregnant she was seventeen and in jail. Now she was co-parenting her teenage son with his adoptive mother. She didn't know how to be a new mother. It didn't help that she had Mary Margaret, the baby whisperer, as a mother. There was no way she would ever be able to live up to the example that she was setting for her. Still she had been unprepared for the sting of rejection that she felt when he didn't express a desire to have a child with her. Logically she understood all the reasons and even agreed. However there was still a nagging sensation inside of her that she couldn't place. A sensation that hadn't let up since the moment that she realized she could be pregnant. After walking down by the docks for another fifteen minutes or so, just listening to the waves crashing again the wood, she began to make her way back towards town. It didn't escape her that when her feelings had become too much for her that she had made her way to the water, much like Killian would had the roles been reversed. In the short time since their relationship had become more than just a friendship he had become so much a part of her that at time she was scared. Getting close to people was new for her. Trusting that she wouldn't be left was completely terrifying to her. She believed it completely though. He had never given her any reason to believe that if the going got tough he would take off. He had literally been willing to sacrifice his life for her on more than one occasion. Even before he had feelings for her or before the feelings had been reciprocated he had been willing to lay down his life for her and for Henry. She walked back to town quickly, reflecting on the relationship that they'd been developing for the last few months. The hand holding, the furtive glances, the passionate kisses. If they were going to have a baby would that continue. This was the beginning of the relationship. The start of something she believed to be amazing. How would that hold up under the weight of a pregnancy and new baby? Once she reached the drugstore she compared and contrasted, finally deciding on two pregnancy tests. One that would show two blue lines if she was pregnant, and one that would show a smiley face if she was pregnant. There was no chance that she was going to run the risk of yet another faulty test. Already she was sure that news was spreading around town since Leroy had been in the store earlier when her and Killian purchased the first test. She quickly checked out at self-scan and made her way back to the house. When she arrived she wasn't surprised to find Killian sitting on the couch, anxiously waiting for her return back home. He wasn't one to move on to other things if she was upset. He was diligent about making sure that she was happy. Sometimes to the point that she wanted to push him to get angry with her. Early in their friendship they were great sparring partners, throwing quick witted jabs at each other without a second thought. Now though he was so focused on making her happy that she knew he frequently put aside what he wanted so that she could have what she wanted. While it was something she appreciated and loved sometimes she missed the way that they were then. A good argument was often very stimulating. "I'm home."

"Where did you go?"

"I went and walked by the docks for a little bit. I needed to think."

"Swan, I want you to understand. It's not that I don't want to have a child with you. I'm just not sure of the timing now. But if your suspicions are true and you are indeed with child please have no doubt that I will be thrilled, and that I will love you and our child with my whole heart."

"Well, why don't we cross that bridge when we get there. Let's find out if I am pregnant or not. Then we'll deal with how we feel about it or if we want it."  
>"What do you mean if we want it?"<p>

"In this time there are ways to end a pregnancy if it's not what the parents want."

"Is that something that you would consider?" The look on his face said it all for Emma. There was hurt written all over it, with a trace amount of disgust. The notion that they could just choose not to have their child clearly an unappealing one to him. "No, it's really not. If I didn't have an abortion as a seventeen year old girl in jail I'm certainly not prepared to entertain the idea of one as a thirty year old woman. But I'm glad to see where you stand on it."

"I didn't saying anything."

"Your face did. You're something of an open book as well there Captain." For the first time since they realized that she might be pregnant some of the seriousness vanished and some playfulness returned. "So what do you say we go and do this again so we can find out whether we're about to be parents." He nodded and followed her to the bathroom. He was just about to follow her in when she turned and placed her hand on his chest. "I think I can do the peeing on the stick part myself. I mean I appreciate you wanting to be there with me every step of the way, I really do. But I think that can handle this part on my own. I won't even hold it against you." She smiled a little before closing the door.

A moment or two later the door to the bathroom opened and she walked out with the sticks in her hand. "Are they ready?"

"Nope. They need ten minutes just like the other one. But I figured we'd do the waiting part together. Play a card game while we wait?"

"We're waiting for news that could change our lives and you want to play a game love?"

"It's better than sitting here staring at a stick that's not going to change any quicker just because we're looking at it." He nodded and they pulled out a deck of cards from the drawer inside the coffee table and set up a very quick game of black jack. The ten minutes flew by and they were a little shocked when the alarm on her phone went off again. "Well, it's time."

"Aye love. Let's take a look." She turned over the first test and saw a face smiling up at her. She knew what that meant and yet she still turned over the other test. Her eyes landed on two blue lines in the screen. "Well that's that then. We're pregnant." She didn't look up, afraid that she'd see him trying to force joy into his eyes so that he could fulfill his early promise of being happy. "Swan...?" She finally raised her eyes to look at him and was taken aback at what she saw. His face seemed to be transformed. Lit up with joy. The smile on his face was huge and his eyes danced. "I thought you'd be upset."

"Love, I told you that I would be thrilled. Why are you surprised?"

"How can you know before you feel something that you're going to feel it?"

"It's easy Swan. I love you. I knew that if you were with child that it would be a piece of you and a piece of me. Forever. How could I not love that? It was never a question of did I want a baby with you. It was a question of whether now was the time. It seems that that question has been answered, given your pregnancy." She smiled, finally feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders. She knew now what that nagging sensation she'd been feeling from the beginning had been. Excitement. Somewhere in the back of her mind all of her logical reasons for why being pregnant was not the right thing had done nothing to welch the feeling of anticipation that she had from the moment the notion entered her mind. Logic had nothing on what her heart was telling her. It wasn't until she heard Killian explain why he knew that he would love the baby that it snapped inside of her why she had felt so conflicted. Her head and her heart were in direct opposition. Killian looked at her with concern written on his face before quietly asking, "Are you happy love?" She realized in that moment that while her heart with bursting with joy her face had yet to register her emotion. She took his hand and gave him a crooked smile. "I'm not happy." His face fell and sadness began to enter his eyes before she quickly continued her thought. "I'm ecstatic. I have never been this happy. Not even when I was pregnant with Henry because I knew that he would be taken from me. But this...this baby is ours. Your and mine. All those moments that I missed, all those things that I never got to say and do I have a second chance at."

"So this is okay?"

"This is so much better than okay. This is everything." Tears had filled her eyes and one made a path down her cheek before he brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. The last time he had done that she was grieving the loss of her mother and here he was with her just a few months later wiping joy filled tears from her cheek. "So when do we tell your family."

"Not yet. I just want to enjoy this with you for a while." He smiled and she settled into his arms on the couch. Before long they had fallen asleep and when Emma woke a couple hours later she wasn't surprised to find that during their slumber his hand had settled protectively on her stomach, which caused butterflies to dance beneath his palm.


	4. Chapter 4

When Henry came home the next morning he found Emma and Killian sleeping on the couch. It wasn't an uncommon sight but what was uncommon were the two sticks laying on the table. He stepped closer and picked one up. He saw a smiling face on the screen on the stick and he knew exactly what it was. He dropped the stick and stomped off to his bedroom, slamming his door behind him and waking the sleeping couple up. "Henry, is that you?" There was no response to Emma's question so she unwrapped herself from Killian's embrace and followed her teenage son to his bedroom. She knocked gently on the door, and then a little bit harder when he didn't answer. "Henry Mills you better open this door."

"Go away. I don't want to talk to you."

"I don't really think that matters right now. Come out here now." She waited a moment but finally the door did open. "What is your problem?" He glanced down at the table and at Killian before looking back at his mother. "What do you care?" Killian had caught his glance and he looked down at the table to see one test on the table and the other on the floor. Realization dawned on him in an instant. "Swan..." She turned at the sound of her name and he nodded in the direction of the test on the floor indicating to her that perhaps what was bothering Henry was the knowledge of her pregnancy. "You saw the test."

"Well if you were trying to hide it you did a pretty lousy job."

"I understand that this might be difficult for you kid but I think you need to rethink the way that you're talking to me."

"I don't."

"Which is why I'm the parent and you're not."

"You're barely my parent. Regina is my mom. She raised me. You didn't." Emma took a step back and tears filled her eyes. Those words would have hurt normally but with her emotions heightened by the pregnancy they cut like a knife. The lights flickered in the room and Killian took a step forward. He was all too aware of what damage could be done by her powers when her emotions went haywire, which was something they hadn't even gotten around to talking about yet. This appeared to be a great opportunity to test what her limitations would be regarding stress and her powers during pregnancy though. "Lad, can't you cut your mother just a bit of a break?"  
>"Why would I listen to you? You're just a pirate."<p>

"Aye. That I am. But I am a pirate that loves your mother and you very much. You more than anyone knows that your mother loves you and you're lashing out at her because you're upset because of the baby. It's understandable. But not acceptable." Emma laid her hand on Killian's arms and implored him with her eyes to let her handle this untenable situation. "Why don't you come sit down with me Henry so that we can talk?"

She went and sat down on the couch while he chose a chair on the opposite side of the TV. "What's there to talk about? You and Killian are having a baby."

"You're having a sibling."

"Don't act like things won't change Mom. They will and you know it. Maybe I should just go back and live with Mom. She would love to have me and really she needs me."

"We need you to Henry."

"For what? To watch you and Killian plan for YOUR baby. To watch you watch YOUR baby grow up?"

"Did you never think that at some point I might have other children?"

"No, I never did. I thought that I was enough for you." Emma got up and walked to the other side of the room, Killian filling her space on the couch, to pull up the footrest to sit at Henry's knees. He had gotten so tall and somehow she felt like she had missed that too. There was so much that she had missed with him. Even since she had gotten to know him there had been so many moments lost. Moments when he'd opted to go to Regina's or times when a curse or spell had kept them apart. Even though their memories of New York were false memories she still cherished them, just as she cherished the recent memories since they had gotten their house. Still he was a child she shared with another person and much of the time it felt as though Henry chose to foster his relationship with Regina because she was struggling so hard to stay good. He felt a responsibility to Regina because she was trying to change to be a better mother for him. Emma hadn't realized she was jealous until the thought that she was going to have a child that she didn't have to share with Regina crossed her mind. It was just there out of nowhere. "Henry why don't you tell me what this is really about?"

"This is really about you and Killian creating a family of your own and leaving me out of it. Just like I said."

"Not that this changes anything but it's not as if Killian and I tried to get pregnant. We're just as surprised by this as you are."

"I'm not a kid anymore Mom. Getting pregnant didn't just happen to you. There are ways to stop it."

"You're right. There are but that's not what happened. We didn't set out to get pregnant but if I'm going to be honest Henry I'm not going to apologize for being happy. Is this what we had planned? No. But it's a good thing."

"Fine." He got up and walked back to his room and shut the door. She glanced at Killian and saw bemusement on his face. "What do you suppose has him so upset Swan? I mean really."

"I think it's pretty clear actually. He's afraid of being left out. There's going to be a new baby and I think he's afraid of getting lost in the shuffle. I mean I'm thirty years old and I can't say that I don't get it. When my parents had Neal I felt a bit jealous. I felt a little replaced. Henry probably thinks the same thing. I just have to show him that he's not."

"Perhaps I should talk to him. I mean you gave it a shot and it didn't seem to take."

"You can try but I don't know how much good it's going to do." He got up, kissed her on the top of her head, and knocked on Henry's door. "Mom, seriously, I get it. You're having a baby and you're happy. Can we just drop it."

"Lad, I need help with a boat down at the docks. Can you come and give me some aide?"  
>"Do you really think that I'm going to fall for that Killian?"<p>

"How about this then. I'm not asking you. I'm telling you to come and give me some aide." The door swung open and Henry stood there, anger written on his face. "Who do you think you are? You're not my father. You're my mom's boyfriend. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Don't I? I am not your father lad. That's true. But when you have an issue at school that you need a male's perspective on who's there? When you wanted to learn how to sail who taught you? When you have a question about a lass who do you come to for advice? You have both of your grandfathers in this town and yet you still come to me. So no, I may not be your father. But I am playing the part. So I think when I ask you to come down to the docks to help me with some work, father or not, you can help me out. You're a perceptive lad though and you clearly know that the request was a ruse to talk to you about the baby. So why don't we drop the pretense and discuss it."

"It's simple. I don't want you and my mom to have a baby."

"Honestly lad that's not a conversation that even makes sense to have. Whether it's your desire that your mother and I have a child together it is happening. We are having a baby. So why don't you tell me WHY you don't want us to have a baby?" Henry's lanky teenage body sat down on the coffee table and he looked down at the floor. For the first time since seeing the test Henry's defenses dropped. Sitting in front of Killian he was no longer a teenager having a teenage size fit. He was the young boy he had met two years before, scared and unsure. "I don't want all of this to end."

"What end? This is a beginning."

"For you and Mom. But not for me. I saw this at Grandma and Grandpa Nolan's. They had Uncle Neal and suddenly everything changed. We couldn't make any noise at home because the baby was sleeping and Grandma wouldn't let him out of her sight. Grandpa suddenly didn't have time to take me fishing anymore because he had to get home to Grandma and the baby." Suddenly Killian was acutely aware of what Henry was afraid of. Being left behind. "Henry, I want you to understand something and it's very important that you hear me. Alright?" Henry nodded his head but didn't look up at Killian. "When I came to this town I had nothing and no one except my vengeance. But it was the quest for you in Neverland that changed all that. I was searching alongside your mother to be a part of something and it worked. She made me a part of her life. You've no idea the nights while we were searching for you that she told me all about you. Your grades, your habits, and the incredible story about how you found her. By the time that we found you in Neverland I was no longer searching for you simply to impress your mother, although it played a part. I was looking for you because I wanted to know the lad that had done such impressive things at such a young age. In the last year I've grown to know you as a person outside of your mother and you've become like a son to me. A feeling that has only increased as your mother and I have grown closer. If you've been staying with Regina more lately so that your mother and I can have time together please don't. It is a joy for us to get to do the family things with you. Your mother and I didn't have that growing up. She was in and out of the foster care system. I lost my mother at an early age and my father had left. My brother was all I had. The little things a family does are new to your mother and I and we do cherish them. We are a family. This baby doesn't create it. You and your mother are my family. I need you to understand that. The baby doesn't change that. You and I will still go sailing together, I'll still help you whenever you need it. Love doesn't get divided lad. It multiplies. Your mother and I have more than enough room in our hearts and our lives to love you and the new baby. Do you understand?" Henry finally looked up at Killian, nodding his understanding. There wasn't a necessity for words. Somehow his mothers boyfriend had figured out the core of what he was afraid of and set those fears to rest. He stood up and without thinking about it hugged Killian fiercely, burying his face in his chest. He had had such a short time with his father that it wasn't simply about losing time with Emma that had had him concerned. Killian had become like a father to him and he hadn't felt completely ready to share. As much as this was new to them it was new to him as well. He'd always had Regina but she hadn't been the most affectionate mother. She had improved but his childhood had been lonely and less than ideal. "So we can still go sailing?"

"We'll make an outing of it regularly."

"When the baby is old enough will they come with us?"

"Aye, I would imagine that at times both your mother and the new baby will come out on the boat with us. But I want to make sure that you and I go out without them periodically for some time as mates." Henry smiled and looked back at his mother, who was still sitting on the other side of the room with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry for what I said Mom. I was just scared."

"I understood that then and I understand that now. I want you to know two things Henry. First, I love you. You are my son, my firstborn. That's something that cannot be replaced. This new baby will be loved just as much but you have no reason to worry that you're going to be left out of this family. I know that things changed at Mary Margaret and David's. But you have to keep in mind that their place is a lot smaller than this. They had one room and a little loft. It was an open space so we had to be quiet and it felt like Neal was everywhere. This house is a lot larger. The baby will be in the room with Killian and me, until they're old enough to be on their own and then we'll figure something out for them. But this is still your house and I'm not going to ask you to be silent in it."

"What's the second thing?"

"The second things is that while I understand that you were upset with us because this took you by surprise you were very disrespectful to both Killian and myself. You don't get to behave that way just because you're upset. I won't have it. If you're angry you can still talk to me in a civilized tone, without slamming doors or walking away. Problems don't get resolved that way. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now that we've got all this serious stuff out of the way what do you think that we have a game night? Maybe a game of Monopoly?" She knew that it was his favorite game, and the fact that it was a game that was sure to take hours only made the game appealing. "Sounds good. I can't wait to tell Mom and Grandma and Grandpa about the baby." Emma and Kilian exchanged a look and Emma spoke at his encouraging nod. "I'm glad that you're excited now but if you could please hold off on telling anyone for awhile. We want to keep it a family secret."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain. We want everyone to know but for a while we want to keep it for ourselves. It's Killian's first child and it's my first time getting to have a normal pregnancy. I was in jail when I was pregnant for you. There are things that I'm going to do for the first time and experience for the first time. As much as I cherished my pregnancy with you, because you were my constant companion when I was completely alone, there are things that I'm going to experience this time that I didn't get to before. I just want to enjoy it quietly for as long as possible before the Princess Mothers Club descends upon me with their well meaning advice. Can you contain yourself for a little while? I mean it's not like I can keep it a secret for very long. If my calculations are correction I'm probably already about seven weeks along so I'll be showing soon."

"Yeah I can keep it a secret. In fact it'll be fun to have a family secret again." Emma smiled and set up the board game that Killian had gone to get while she was discussing keeping the baby quiet. As the game began she surveyed the scene. A blanket on her lap, Killian on the couch next to her and Henry sitting on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Somehow, despite all the craziness, her life was everything she had always wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

She knew it was too early. Her symptoms had just started and she wasn't even two months along yet. But as she stood in the mirror it didn't matter. She stood there in a pair of pajama shorts and one of Killian's white tank tops looking at her flat stomach. She ran her hands over it and took a peak back at the open bedroom door before lifting the tank top up to reveal her stomach, arching her back, and trying to create a bump. She was naturally slim and with the morning sickness she had actually lost a few pounds since the start of her pregnancy. Taking a look again to make sure that no one was coming she found a round pillow that was laying on the bed and put it underneath the tank top. Now she looked pregnant. She arched her back and ran her hands over her stomach, taking in the sight of a roundness under her top. She remembered being pregnant but she hadn't gotten to experience it like this before. It was a whole new world for her. She continued to check out her "pregnant" appearance for a few minutes, distracted by the excitement that was overtaking her. She was so distracted that she didn't notice when Killian came and leaned in the doorway to their bedroom, watching as she practiced at being pregnant in the mirror. "You look amazing love." She jumped and pulled the pillow out from under her shirt, throwing it across the room. "You shouldn't sneak up on a pregnant woman Killian. It's bad form."

"I was just coming to my bedroom door to inform my pregnant girlfriend that we have to be at Dr. Whale's office in about an hour and so some expediency in getting ready might be necessary." She blushed as he pushed away from the doorway and came to stand behind her in front of the mirror, grabbing the round pillow along the way. "Put it back please?"

"Killian..."

"I just want to look at you." She took the pillow, begrudgingly, and put it back under her shirt. She placed her hands on the pillow like she used to when she was pregnant with Henry. Standing in front of the mirror, with Killian behind her, she felt ridiculous. This wasn't a baby. It was a pillow and he was standing here watching her caress it like it was the baby growing in her stomach. She was about to pull the pillow out from under her shirt when she felt Killian's arms come around her and rest on top of hers, lacing their fingers together on each side. She looked at his reflection expecting to see him looking back at her but his eyes were fixed on their hands on her stomach. "Where you at pirate?"

"Just in awe. I know it's just a pillow now but a few months from now it will be real. We'll be able to put our hands on your stomach and feel our wee one moving around in there. I just never imagined this." She removed the pillow from under her shirt and turned around putting her forearms on his shoulders while his hands fell to her hips. Her green eyes gazed into his deep blue ones, searching. "What do you mean you never imagined this?"

"I had given up on all this. Love, children, family. After spending hundreds of year thinking that love is outside your grasp sometimes it takes your breathe away when you realize that you're literally holding it in our hands. His good hand moved from her hip up to her still flat stomach. "A little piece of you. A little piece of me. Forever. It's a foreign concept even when you've as many lifetimes as I have. I used to fear it, getting older. Now I find that I can't wait. I can't wait to spend the next months watching your body change, I can't wait to see our little one. I can't wait to see the man that Henry will grow into and to watch you age. To age along with you." She caressed his cheek, smoothing the crinkles by his eyes with the pad of her thumb. "You know I never really thought I would have this either. I figured Henry would be it. I didn't think that I would be able to let someone in again after Neal."

"What about the monkey?"

"Walsh wasn't real. He was never real and I never came close to feeling for him what I feel for you."

"And what pray tell is that?"

"You gonna make me say it pirate?"

"Every day." They both smiled and she acquiesced to his request. "I do believe it's true love. I don't need a curse or some terrifying event to prove it to me. This...," she placed her hand on her stomach on top of his hand that was already there, "is all the proof I need." He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips. Barely a whisper but clearly a promise. A promise of a life that was going to be more than either of them had allowed themselves to dream of. "Did you say that we have to be at the doctors in an hour?"

"Less now."

"Well then I do believe you should stop distracting me so that I can get ready to go." He took a step back and released her but simply sat down on the edge of the bed. "Go ahead love. I'll just sit here and supervise." He raised his eyebrow suggestively and licked his lips in that wicked manner that he had. "Perhaps a lady would like some privacy?"

"Perhaps she would be alas this is my bedroom too." She chuckled a little before peeling off her shorts and tank top, making her way to the dresser. She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a black tank top nearly identical to the one she'd been wearing, but fit for a woman. She pulled on her red jacket and grabbed her boots before sitting down on the bed next to Killian. As she pulled the boots on she looked over at him. "You ready to do this? You ready to see the doctor and get the official confirmation that we're expecting a baby? We might even be able to hear the heartbeat depending on how far along I am."

"We can hear it?"

"Modern technology can be amazing."

"I've never been more ready love."

They arrived early to the appointment and waited anxiously in the waiting room. If they were being honest they didn't want to be seen there. If they could have seen someone besides Dr. Whale, a man who had once had a one night stand with her mother, they would have. Unfortunately Regina hadn't been exactly generous with skills when casting the initial curse and he was the only physician in town capable of helping in this instance. After waiting nearly half an hour, which was ludicrous since they were the only ones in the office, they were escorted back to his office. It was decorated nicely, if a little drab. The entire room was done in crisp blacks and whites. In the corner was a bed with stirrups and an ultrasound machine next to it. Before Dr. Whale came in a nurse appeared, she had been a fairy in their land, to take Emma's vitals and get everything prepared for when he came in. Which didn't happen for yet another fifteen minutes. When he finally came in he was all business. "Emma, Killian. Good to see you."

"Aye you too mate. Although it would have been nicer to see you at our scheduled time forty five minutes ago as it appears your office is rather empty today."

"Always a pleasure Hook. So Emma what appears to be the issue?"

"I'm pregnant. Which is why Killian is here."

"I would presume that he's the father then?"

"Yeah, that would be a pretty accurate assumption."

"How long has it been since your last menstrual cycle?"

"About two months. A week before the Snow Queen was defeated."

"Okay. And about how long after that is your guess on conception.

"The day after the Snow Queen was defeated. Wow, our life is weird. We gauge our milestones by the most recent villain." She couldn't help but chuckle. Partially because it was funny and partially because it was incredibly awkward in the room and she wanted to lighten the atmosphere. "So what makes you think that you're pregnant?"

"You mean besides the two positive pregnancy test?"

"Right. Besides that."

"My clothes were fitting tighter but the morning sickness has taken care of that. I've been really tired." Killian looked at her before inserting, "And incredibly moody." She lightly slugged him in the arm before chuckling and adding, "And incredibly moody."

"Well those do sound like typical pregnancy symptoms. We'll run some tests just to be sure." He had her lay back on the table, lift up her tank top, and then rubbed the gel on her stomach. "This is probably a ridiculous question given the background but do either of you have access to your medical history, like your parents or siblings?"

"Well, I can ask my parents once I decide to tell them about the baby but Killian do you have access to that type of stuff?"

"Not really love. My mother died young, my father left when I was still a lad, and Liam died young as well. Not really much of an opportunity for illness to ravage a body in such a hostile land." She saw a flicker of pain cross his face before his smile masked it. He never talked about his past, about losing his whole family. Sometimes though she would look across the room and find him watching her family with a look of sadness on his face, as though he were remembering or trying to remember having a family like that. He loved doing the mundane, family stuff. Making dinner, eating a meal with her and Henry. Stuff that some people would take for granted. If she hadn't grown up the way she did it might have confused her but she had the same love for the mundane that he did. Getting to do family things, be a family, was everything to both of them. Almost unconsciously her hand went to her stomach as the thought that now their family was expanding crossed her mind. "Well I guess we'll finish up the tests then and try to get a definite confirmation of the pregnancy. In about four weeks we'll have you come back, we'll do the first ultrasound, and hear your baby's heartbeat." Killian took the hand that lay on her stomach and lightly squeezed it. He had loved his old land but this world had its advantages. Getting to see and hear his child before they were born was a definite one. Dr. Whale gave Emma a cup and instructed her to use it so that they could run a more extensive pregnancy test on it and they would have the results within twenty four hours. They set up a follow up visit for a month later and the visit was over. Killian and Emma walked out to the car holding hands in near silence. She sat next to him in the pick up truck that they had bought shortly after she got her place with her hand on his thigh. When they got home Henry was already there wanting to know how everything went and they, as a family, moved seamlessly though the kitchen getting dinner ready. For all the time that she had spent wishing for a family she could never have imagined one as great as the one that she had stumbled upon with Killian and Henry and in a few months a new little bundle of joy.


	6. Chapter 6

* A kind of short chapter but I wanted to keep the updates happening on a fairly regular basis

It hit her hard in the middle of the night. She was sleeping soundly and in the middle of a simple dream about her, Killian, and Henry on board the Jolly Roger suddenly a dancing bowl of spaghetti appeared, inciting a hunger that she didn't even know existed. The hunger was so intense that it woke her, causing her to sit up straight in bed. She looked first at the clock, and then at Killian who had done little more than moan a little at the jostling that her bolt upright had caused in the bed. Three thirty in the morning and the only thing she could think about what was spaghetti. She considered waking Killian but it was her craving. No reason to bother him with it. She slid her feet into the slippers that were, as always, right by the bed and put the robe that was on the nearby chair onto her. It was a tiny thing but it meant to much to her to have such normalcy. She never had to think about if they would be there. She knew that Killian made it a point to make sure that they were right there before he retired for the evening. Always thinking of her, even when he came home bone tired. She walked quietly into the kitchen and pulled out a pot, filling it with water. As she went about the task of making her early morning meal she placed her hand on her stomach, quietly speaking to the baby. "So this is how it's going to be huh little one? Tired all day and hungry all night? Well I want you to know that I don't mind..." She moved about the kitchen murmuring to her unborn child, absorbed in their late night interaction. She was so absorbed that she didn't hear Killian pad down the carpeted steps and come to the kitchen door. "I won't mind because this is the first time I have gotten to do this. I love your big brother but there was no sating pregnancy cravings with him. It was prison food three times a day. So you can wake me up at three thirty or one thirty or you can keep me up all night. You can want a million different kinds of disgusting concoctions and I will give you every single one. I love you already. Even if all the books say that you're just the size of a raspberry." She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a pair of strong arms come around her waist. "Killian, what are you doing up?"

"Well love I'm quite used to someone being in the bed with me. I stirred a bit and imagine my surprise when I found your side of the bed empty. What are you doing up?"

"Making spaghetti?"

"Spaghetti Swan? At this time of the night?"

"Don't blame me. Blame your raspberry in there. It seems he or she is having a particularly strong craving for it tonight."

"If you'd have waited I would have made it for you for lunch."

"Not how pregnancy works there mate. Baby says jump, mama says how high."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

"Well I have been pregnant before, although admittedly I didn't really get to make many decisions about my prenatal care then. But my mother did have a baby recently. She was unrelenting in her baby talk during the pregnancy. I learned more than I had ever wanted to know. Although it is rather coming in handy now." He smiled and leaned back against the counter next to the stove, watching her cook. "I would have made it for you you know. No matter what time of day."

"I know that Killian." She reached out and grazed his cheek with her hand. The stubble tickled a bit and she found her breath caught in her throat. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of boxer briefs, looking at her like she was the sun and moon wrapped up in one. "Even though this is my second baby it feels like a first for both of us. I know that you want to be a part of it."

"I certainly enjoyed the part that I played so far." He raised his eyebrow in that suggestive manner that he had before she swatted him playfully. She turned back to the spaghetti that was starting to boil on the stove and he sat down at the kitchen table watching her. In all this years on the sea, even in his years with Milah, he had never imagined that he would have this. The domesticity of it all. He had spent his life braving the seas, womanizing, and plotting his revenge on the Dark One. But never had he thought that the greatest job in his life would come from a three am spaghetti breakfast at the whim of his pregnant girlfriend. "So this rule that you have. Baby says jump, mama says how high I believe is how you phrased it. How does that work?"

"Pregnancy is weird. I couldn't tell you why pregnant women crave things but the cravings aren't like those I'd kind of like this cravings. They're more like I need this and I need this now cravings. The baby is telling me that there's something that it needs and being the loving mother than I am it's my job to give it to her."

"Her huh?" Emma blushed a deep shade of red at her admission. "Or him."

"But you want it to be a her?"

"I'll be happy no matter what but there's something about imagining you with a little girl that I like. I've seen how you are with Henry and he's not even yours. I just am so eager to see how you'll be with our little one." Killian got up from the table and walked back to her side at the stove. He placed his hand on the small of her back, indicating that he wanted her to look at him. "Henry may not be mine biologically love but he's mine in all the ways that count. You, me, Henry, and the little one in there we're going to be a family. No distinction. I don't ever want you or Henry to think that our baby is somehow more important to me because we share some blood. Henry was a pivotal part in bringing me to you. If it weren't for that lad so many things between us wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have needed to go to Neverland and you wouldn't have needed me to watch after him while you were dealing with the wicked witch. That boy is just as much a part of us as you or I. Never doubt that." Her arms came up around his neck and he pulled her just a bit closer. Her voice was just barely above a whisper. "I don't. I don't doubt it. I watch you. I see you...with him. With me. With my family. I know you. I know what you're looking for. You're something of an open book love." Her eyes danced as she recited his words from the day that they met back to him. He leaned down and captured his lips with her, softly and tenderly. More promise than passion. "Hey Swan?"

"Yeah?"

"Have I told you lately how much I love you. How happy I am that I found you?"

"You have actually. Not always with the words but with the way your fingers lace with mine"...she laced their fingers together, " and with the way that you look at me like there's nothing in this entire world that has ever been more precious to you. When you kiss me goodnight or even when you take Henry sailing. A million times a day in a million different ways." He leaned in to kiss her again but just before his lips touched hers the water in the pot started boiling over and Emma jumped into action. Within minutes the spaghetti was finished and she was putting it onto the table. They ate in an easy silence, content to just be with each other. Afterward Killian got up and cleaned up the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher while Emma curled up on the couch. She wouldn't admit it but already the pregnancy was taking a tole on her stamina. She was tired all the time. How her family hadn't noticed already was beyond her. After about fifteen minutes she felt a Killian's arms pick her up, bridal style, and carry her to the bedroom. "Killian..."

"Shhh love. Your midnight snack for the wee one seems to have taken it out of you a bit. Just rest. Henry will be up in a few hours. I'll get him off to school today. I would tell you to take the day off and rest but something tells me that you wouldn't do that."

"I'm going to be pregnant for nine months Killian. I can't exactly take the day off every time I get tired."

"Why not? Why not let your father take the lead a bit so that you can take it easy. You've had a couple years of trying to save the entire town. Why not take a break to take care of yourself and just relax?"

"Because I'm the savior and it's my job."

"Well now you're a rather pregnant savior which is probably a job in and of itself. Let's have this conversation another night love. You rest." She thought momentarily of arguing but sleep overtook her nearly as soon as he had her settle beneath the blankets. After she was comfortably slumbering he climbed in next to her and molded his body behind her. He drifted off to sleep as well shortly thereafter with his hand resting on her still flat stomach.

Faves and follows are greatly appreciated as are reviews. Please let me know what you do and don't like. I'm not the greatest writer but I'm doing my best. Feedback is always great.


	7. Chapter 7

*** Sorry for the delay. I had some personal stuff get in the way of my muse this week. This appears to be an extra long chapter though so I hope that it makes up for the delay. Just as a warning for the Regina fans out there sorry if she comes across poorly in this chapter. I like her overall but there are issues with the character that the show doesn't address so I decided to. But hopefully it makes way for great stuff should I write more of her in later chapters.

Emma looked down at her stomach, still flat, and brushed her hand over it. Every day she felt closer and closer to her unborn child. Even though there were no kicks or flutters in her belly somehow she could still feel it. It was as though the knowing had created physical symptoms. It had been more than a week since her pregnancy cravings kicked in. At this point neither her or Killian knew what she would want at any given moment. Sometimes she wanted things that were very healthy, sometimes very unhealthy, and always something sweet. Thankfully the desire for spaghetti had only lasted the one night because the heartburn from the spaghetti sauce burnt all day long the next day. She knew that she was going to have to tell her family soon. Countless pregnancy books and websites told her that she should be showing soon and she certainly didn't want the announcement to be made by her burgeoning belly. She sat at the kitchen table looking at the calendar on her phone, trying to figure out when the best time to tell people would be. At that moment the door opened and Killian and Henry entered the room. Henry barely took notice of his mother as he ran up the steps, dropping his book bag on the couch as he made his way to his room. "What's up with him?"

"There's a lass at school who's caught his interest. He got a text message just as we got home and apparently needed the privacy of his bedroom to respond."

"It's starting already. I remember this part of the teen years. Trying to keep everything from the parents. Should be fun," she said with a chuckle. "I think we need to talk Killian."

"Is that right love? Are we going to discuss you taking some time off or at least lightening your load during your pregnancy?"

"Perhaps." He pulled out the other chair at the table and sat down across from her. "You have my full attention love."

"We need to tell people about the baby. I'm going to be showing soon and I think that before that happens we need to tell our family and friends."

"You won't get an argument from me. I'll be thrilled to tell the world about our impending parenthood."

"Good. I'm glad. It's been fun the last couple weeks keeping this to ourselves but I'm so excited that I'm about to bust. Do you want to tell everyone together or tell people on an individual basis?"  
>"Well naturally I want to tell people with you love."<p>

"That's not exactly what I meant. Do you want to get everyone together in a group and tell them or do you want to just talk to people when we see them?"

"That one is up to you Swan. It's your body."

"But it's our baby. I don't want to make decisions like that without you."

"Lass I care what you and Henry think. I already know how you both feel. The rest of their reactions are going to be about you. I will be with you when you tell them however you want to tell them but when you tell them their reaction is going to be for you."

"Killian, they care about you too."

"Aye, they do. But they care about me because of you. For you. Your mother, father, and the others in the town have come to care about me to some degree for sure. However that is a direct result of my relationship with you and I have no notions to the contrary. I'm alright with it."

"Then I think I would like to do it in a group setting. Just have everyone come to The Rabbit Hole and tell them all at once. I'm not particularly focused on their reactions and people may be less likely to give their opinions if we do it in a public place. However there is one person that's going to need to know before the others."

Who's that?"

"Ruby. She's been working on getting a photo job going and I thought we could throw some business her way."

"You want to take a picture? Your talking phone has that capability."

"Yes, but I think that she can do it better than my talking phone. I want to use the picture to announce to everyone that we're having a little one."

"Alright then love. We'll get hold of Ruby and have her take our photograph. Although I'm not sure how that's going to announce that we're having a baby."

"Oh you'll see." She grabbed her cell phone off the table and promptly dialed Ruby's number, setting her plan into motion.

With Grumpy and Granny in town it didn't take very long for everyone to find out that Emma and Killian were throwing an impromptu get together. Granny graciously agreed to host for a low fee for the evening and Ruby was all to happy to take part in Emma's plan. A day after deciding to make the announcement Killian and Emma arrived at Granny's to wait for the rest of their friends and family to make their way to the diner. Emma settled at a corner table with a glass of water while Killian opted to enjoy a beer, to help with the anxiety. He knew that for the most part it was going to be congratulations but there was not a doubt in his mind that there was an uncomfortable conversation with Emma's father in his very near future. Despite the fact that they appeared to be the same age David very much viewed Emma as his little girl and tended to be over protective of her. He didn't blame him any but it still made it less than enjoyable to have to have those serious talks with him. He appeared to be a peer but the dynamic was just so odd. About ten minutes after he and Emma arrived the door to the diner opened and a steady stream of people came in. First were Henry and Regina, who looked as though her world had been torn apart. Although she had come per their request she sat at the bar, nursing a shot of whiskey Henry immediately joined them at their table, aware that they were making the big announcement that night. Belle came just a few minutes later with Aurora and Ashley, babies in tow. Their husbands had instructed their wives to apologize for being unable to attend but were light in details about why they weren't going to the get together. It didn't take long for the girls to realize that there was a football game on TV that they had some money riding on and they didn't want to miss it. The girls were more than fine with them staying in though since most of their time spent together was spent discussing the sport and it was incredibly tedious to have to sit and listen to them. The dwarves and several other Storybrooke citizens shuffled in after them and finally after everyone else had arrived David and Mary Margaret got there. Mary Margaret was bouncing baby Neal on her shoulder while David tried to maneuver the stroller through the door and hold onto the diaper bag and her purse. He couldn't quite figure out why they even bothered to bring the stroller out since more often than not Mary Margaret simply refused to put the baby in it but he couldn't really say that he blamed her considering their penchant for having their infants nearly ripped from their arms. They made their way over to Emma and Killian and Mary Margaret nearly collapsed into her seat. Neal was not an easy baby to care for and her anxiety over anything happening to him that would cause him the slightest bit of discomfort made relaxation nearly impossible for the new mother. Emma almost instinctively reached for her little brother, in part because her maternal instincts were in overdrive, but primarily because her heart ached for her mother. She wanted motherhood so badly but it was much harder than she had expected. She thought it was going to be like the books that she had read and it was anything but. Before she moved out he had kept Emma and Henry up countless nights and from everything her mother told her his sleeping habits hadn't really improved. Emma took the baby, who looked as though he was about to fall asleep, and put him in the crook of her arm. Killian looked down at her and his heart nearly burst out of his chest. In a matter of month she was going to be holding their child, and it was going to be them that were nearly exhausted from a lack of sleep. He could hardly wait. When she looked up at him and caught the expression on her face her face softened into a smile. Without saying a word she knew what he was thinking, because she was thinking the same thing. Just a couple of weeks ago she would have just been holding her little brother but now she was holding a representation of her future. Her and Killian's future. Killian nodded his head to her and they both rose, prepared to make their announcement. "If we could have everyone's attention." It took a minute but finally all eyes landed on them and the room went quiet. "We wanted to say first of all thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to be able to get together with all of our friends and family. But mainly we wanted to get everyone here to share something with all of you." She looked over at Killian who seemed to understand that she wanted him to take the next part of the speech. "Aye, as most of you know Emma and I are living together with the lad. So as part of our housewarming we had Ruby come and take some photos of us. Before they go up in the home we wanted to share them with you, as a way of inviting you all into the family that we are becoming. Lad?" Henry grabbed a large framed photo that had been propped up facing the wall behind their table and showed it to the room full of people. The photo was black and white with three pairs of footwear slightly blurred in the background. Killian and Emma's boots, and Henry's sneakers. In front of those pairs of shoes was a pair of baby booties that looked very similar to the cowboy boots that Killian wore on a regular basis. Printing on the bottom of the photo announced in big black letter that "We're expecting." A chorus of gasps went out throughout the room. Emma handed her brother back to her mother and put one arm around Killian's waist and the other hand on on her stomach. A giant grin broke out on her face as she looked at the shocked expressions she saw throughout the room. "So clearly we brought you here to make an announcement. We're not exactly sure when the due date is because we haven't had our first ultrasound yet but we have a general idea and we're thinking the little one should be here in September. We really couldn't be happier." She looked at her mother and saw that her face was frozen in shock. "So Mom, why don't you and I go and talk about this privately real quick. Since you just had a baby I'm sure you've got some words of wisdom for me." Mary Margaret nodded and handed Neal to Henry and followed Emma out onto the terrace. Once they sat down, at the very table where Emma and Killian had kissed when they returned from the past, Emma looked at her mother. "So just say what you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything Emma. Congratulations."

"I can read your face. Trust me you have something to say so why don't you just say it." Although Mary Margaret was getting better with Killian Emma was aware that it was still a struggle for her mother to accept the pirate into her life. "Fine, but you have to understand that I am happy for you. I'm just concerned that this is all a little bit too fast. It's only been six months or less since your first date and you're already having a baby? What happened to getting married?"

"Mom, this isn't the Enchanted Forest."

"I know that but what if things don't work out with you and Killian? Henry already doesn't have his father around and I would hate to see another child..."

"Mom, Killian and I are not going to break up. This is for good."

"How can you be sure?"  
>"How were you sure about David? You knew him a lot shorter amount of time than I've known Killian. We may have only been together for a short time but him and I have known each other for years now. He found me. He brought me home. He's become my home. This baby is just an extension of that."<p>

"Have you discussed marriage?"

"I'm sure the topic will come up eventually but it'll have to be organic. Killian and I love each other. With or without a piece of paper we're a family and this baby will be a part of a family. No different than Neal."

"How does Henry feel?"

"He was upset at first but it was more because he was afraid that the baby would come between him and Killian than anything else. He's really excited about it now." Mary Margaret looked in the window at Killian sitting at the table in the diner with Neal laying the crook of his good arm. People had gathered around him and he seemed to effortlessly engage with them but she noticed that he rarely looked away from the baby for very long. It was though he had spent his life doing this, instead of the limited interactions he'd had with children. "If you're happy Emma then I'm happy. But that's me. Your father is going to be a completely different story."

Back inside the diner Killian bounced baby Neal on his knee cooing quietly to the infant. "You're going to have a new niece or nephew Neal. How do you feel about that?"

"Why don't you ask how his father feels about having a new grandchild?" Killian looked up to find David glaring down at him, arms crossed over his chest. "Mate, I know this comes as a surprise."

"It should but it doesn't. Not really. That's my daughter."

"We're living together. Are you really thinking that we don't...you know?"

"Well of course I understand that you probably are but you couldn't use protection?"

"Is that honestly a conversation that you want to have?" David sat down and took his son off the pirate's lap. "What are your intentions towards Emma now that you're expecting?"

"Well mate I suppose that my intentions are for us to have a child."

"You know what I mean."

"I do. But my answer hasn't altered since the last time you asked me the question. Whatever Emma and I become is as much up to her as it is to me."

"While I respect that as her father I want to know what you want from her."

"Whatever she's willing to give me. I genuinely am unclear as to what response you're searching for." "What does this baby mean for your relationship?"

"I'm not dense mate. I believe that you're asking if I'm planning on marrying her. Am I correct in that assumption?"

"I suppose that I would be interested in knowing that."

"I don't have the answer to that. Emma and I have worked hard for the relationship that we have. Getting her to trust that I won't leave her and that I love her completely was a long road. At this juncture in our relationship I don't intend on proposing marriage."

"Wouldn't that prove all the more that you'll never leave her?"

"Aye, I suppose it would. But Emma doesn't want to be a burden to anyone." When he saw David's face flush he realized how the statement sounded. "Relax mate. You know that I don't mean that she's a burden. She could never be that for me. I simply meant to say that at this point if I were to ask Emma to be my wife she would think it has to do with the baby. Doing the right thing, especially given our home in the enchanted forest. When I ask Emma to be my wife, and I assure you that it is a when, I don't want any doubts about my motivation lurking in her mind. I want her to know that it is for no other reason than my desire to have her by my side forever." David looked down at his son, trying to avoid the eyes of the pirate who had very nearly said the exact thing that he wanted to hear. He didn't know why he had assumed that Killian would give him the wrong answer. He hadn't when they'd been outside the ice wall and Emma was trapped with Elsa. Even then he had been completely clear on the fact that anything that ever happened with Emma would be completely her choice. Sure he was always brazenly clear on what he wanted but the first move was generally made by Emma, even now. "I suppose then you have my permission to ask for her hand when the time comes."

"I appreciate that mate but with all due respect the only permission that I'll be seeking will be Emma's. Your blessing I will gladly take but seeing as it will be Emma pledging her life to me when the day comes I feel that it's best to leave permission to her." David nodded, mildly embarrassed that Killian had had to remind him that despite his background in the enchanted forest they were no longer living in the worlds where the father needed to approve the marriage. "Then my blessing is what you'll be given." At that moment Emma and Mary Margaret walked in, heads together talking about the baby no doubt. As they made their way towards the men Regina got up from her place at the bar and made her way over to Emma. "Guess it's good to be the savior isn't it Emma?"

"At the moment yes." She wore a genuine smile looking at the brokenhearted queen but for a moment the smile wavered. During her time in Storybrooke her interactions with Regina seemed to have a see-saw effect. With Robin gone Regina had been in a poor mood but had yet to really let loose on anyone. She had even accepted help on Operation Mongoose, although she still preferred to work on it alone with Henry. "Have you had any luck with the author of the book?"

"You know the answer to that. Henry would have told you. He can't keep anything from you."

"You either Regina. He loves you."

"Well thank you for assuring me that my son loves me but I was aware."

"I'm really not sure why you seem angry with me Regina but I am trying to celebrate and I just don't want to get into any of this with you tonight."

"Well then I suppose that should be it then. The savior doesn't wish it so we must heed her whims."

"Regina..."  
>"You get it all. My son, your family, your pirate, and now what appears to be your happy ever after. And here I sit, alone at a bar, getting to hear you announce that you're getting what I crave. A life with the man that you love and a child."<p>

"So you're angry with me because I'm pregnant."

"Because no matter how much I try you get everything and I get nothing. No matter how much I change that infernal book has it written that I'm a villain and so I lose everything every time. But you're a hero. The savior. So even though you destroyed my life by bringing Marian back from the past with you, even though you came to town and for the most part took my son from me you get it all and I get nothing. I try so hard to be good and all any of you people see when you look at me is the evil queen." Finally Emma had had enough. While she considered Regina a friend she had had enough of this shaming for being good. "Enough Regina." The entire room was surprised by the ferocity of her words. She was not speaking quietly, or kindly. Instead she was shouting at the woman in front of her. "I am so tired of hearing you complain about all the ways that I have wronged you. Calling me names, treating me like garbage and I have taken it because...well I couldn't honestly tell you why I've taken it. You talk about the ways that I've hurt you. Do you even recognize the ways that you've hurt me? The ways that you hurt me before you even knew me?Before you ever knew my name?"

"Are we going back to that?"

"Back to that? Have we ever left it. My mother stands in this room the same age as her daughter because at ten years old she told a secret. A secret that she wouldn't have had to keep if you had been able to stand up to your overbearing mother and take ownership for your own life. My parents lost out on raising their child and then you managed to twist the knife into me, an innocent baby, because your curse caused me to be unable to raise my child. You have tormented and tortured everyone in this room. Ripped them from their land because you needed your vengeance on my mother and they were just collateral damage."

"I have apologized a million times and I have tried to change."

"Perhaps you've tried to change but you have not apologized a million times. I've never heard you utter a single apology for the fact that I grew up unloved and alone. Lying and stealing to get by. Being manipulated by magic that I was completely aware. My entire life mapped out all to save people from you. I've never heard you utter a single apology to my parents for separating them out of pure malice. You have said that you don't even regret the things that you did. Yet you expect everyone in this room to offer your forgiveness, something you couldn't even offer to a child. You hold my wrong, which wasn't even a real wrong, over my head like a weapon to wield against me every time that I step out of line with you but you feel that all of your misdeeds should be bygones because now you want to be good. I invited you to this gathering tonight to announce my good news with my friends and family. You have become my friend and we are family. But I am not going to bow to your pity and anger anymore." She didn't say another word, simply walked over to Hook and David. The room was completely silent as Regina stared after Emma. Part of her burned with the desire to seek her revenge on Emma for talking to her the way that she did. Another part of her though, the part that was growing and learning to be the type of person considered to be a hero, heard Emma and knew that to some degree she was right. She had been so busy demanding forgiveness that she had completely forgone the act of earning it. She had done good things, like helping to defeat Zelena, but it was often self motivated. She specialized in self preservation but she had never been very good at thinking of others first. The only person she had ever done that for was Henry, and if she was being honest with herself even that was new. "Emma, you're right. I don't like that you're right but I have just expected everyone to forgive me without asking. I'm not going to start tonight. But I am going to say congratulations on the baby." Without another word she turned and headed towards the door. After she had left Emma took Neal back from her father and sat down, bouncing the baby on her knee. After a few minutes Emma was surprised to not only find that the volume hadn't picked up, but also that most of the eyes in the room were on her. "What? She's not really that hard to work." She laughed and went back to playing with her brother. After a moment she looked at Killian, who was sitting next to her, and was taken aback by the intensity in his gaze. "What's that look?"

"I'm just amazed by you lass. With everything you know about her history you didn't even hesitate to go up against her."

"I've dealt with bigger bads than her."

"Aye, that you have love. Just another reason that I love you. You can go from tough as nails to sweet as pie in a split second. Have I told you today that I love you?"

"I'm not sure. But I'm always open to hearing it."

"I love you Swan. More and more every day."

"I love you too." She offered a small smile and leaned in for a brief kiss. After the kiss they both turned their attention to the baby on her lap, laughing and cooing and both dreaming of the future.

As always follow/faves are appreciated and I really love getting reviews. I love knowing if people are enjoying the stories or not.


	8. Chapter 8

*** Sorry for the delay. Again. My laptop broke and had to spend a week in the shop getting repaired.

Two weeks later Killian found Emma asleep in the chair at the sheriff's station, again. These days she was basically narcoleptic. He found her sleeping in different locations at different times throughout the day. The week before had been the strangest. He found her sleeping in the pantry off the kitchen, using a bag of flour as a pillow. From that point on he had made it a point to check in on her regularly, always disguising his concern with a logical reason for why he had made an appearance. His first inclination was always to smother a little bit. He had lost so much and spent most of his life waiting for the other shoe to drop. After Belle used the dagger to force Gold to give him his heart back he had thought it was all over. Gold had been banished from Storybrooke and he was free to go about his life. He had relished that time with Emma, having a normal relationship with her, and learning who she was when there wasn't a crisis looming. Then came the Queens of Darkness, with Gold in tow, and his security was ripped from him again. Despite the fact that Gold had never really loved Milah he seemed intent on punishing him for taking her. Even though she was no possession and had come willingly. When Gold crushed her heart in front of him he thought that it was the worse thing that could ever happen, but now as he watched Emma sleep he realized that there was worse. He had created a family, and now because Gold wouldn't be satisfied until he was punished, they would never be safe. Gold would always be coming for them, using them over and over to tear his world to bits. Every day there was a war inside of him. Whether to stay or go. To fight or just endure the fear. He stepped forward and brushed a piece of blonde hair that had fallen into Emma's face behind her ear. Every time he thought of running he looked at her and Henry and knew that it wasn't really an option. She would never let him go and if he was being honest he was still selfish. He didn't want to live without the life that he had built. Not just Emma and Henry but the people that loved them. They had developed into this head-scratching version of a family but family nonetheless. He should go. It would be best for them. Less dangerous but he knew that he wouldn't. He would just live with the ever present threat of Gold hanging over his head and he would cherish every moment. "Killian...? What are you doing here?"

"We've got your check up in about twenty minutes love. Not that it matters if we're on time since Whale certainly never is."

"Oh come on Killian. Let it go. It doesn't hurt us to wait. He does have other patients."

"Whatever you say Swan. If you don't mind waiting then we shall wait."

"What's going on with you? You seem upset about something."

"It's nothing. Shall we go?"

"Killian, I'm not going to not pay attention to the signs again. You're not acting like yourself. What's wrong?"

"I'm just concerned is all."

"About the baby? We have no reason to be. Everything seems to be going according to the books."

"No. I mean yes, but no."

"Well you have effectively confused me. What are you talking about Killian?"

"We defeated the Queens of Darkness but we didn't defeat Gold. He's still around."

"Yeah, but we know better than to trust him. We're watching him and Belle is looking into how to strip him of his powers. It's just taking some time."

"He's the Dark One love. There is no stripping him of his powers unless someone else takes them. That's the only way."

"It's the only way that we know of right now. We'll find a way together." A ghost of a smile flashed across his face at the use of the word together. Even though they were together, in every way, it still made him happy to think of them as a unit. The perfect team. As quick as the smile came though it went, concern flashing behind his blue eyes again. "What do we do in the meantime? Just wait for him to come after us again? To come after me? He hates me Emma but he knows me. He knew me when he crushed Milah's heart in front of me and he knows me now. The way to destroy me is to hurt you. We have a family. We have a child on the way. How do I sit back and just wait for him to come after you?" Emma knew when he used her given name that this was weighing heavily on him. He rarely called her anything but Swan and love. She placed her hand on the side of his face, guiding him to look in her eyes. "Killian, I want you to understand that I know what kind of threat he is. I'm not saying he's not. But this isn't like last time. It's not like with Milah. You're not alone. I'm here. Henry's here. We're all here and we love you and we're going to protect you. You are tied up in us now. Me most of all, quite literally. Gold has no power here. He's a trickster and we won't fall for his tricks. We know who he is. We know who you are. There's always a chance that things can go wrong. I'm the savior. You don't think that puts us at risk? That people will see you and Henry and this baby as a way to distract me? It's just a risk that we have to take because the other option is not loving each other. I can't do that. I can't stop loving you. It's in my DNA now and it's in the DNA of the life that we created together. Don't hide your fears from me Killian. Heaven knows I've got them too. If we face it together though we can get past any fear." His thumb came up to caress her lips momentarily before leaning down to capture those lips with his. His hand moved to her cheek and then to the back of her head. For a moment the kiss threatened to turn deeper, driving them towards a passion that would be inappropriate for their current location. She pulled her head back and looked at him. "Better?"

"Yes, and no."

"Why no?"

"Because I thought that I had already fallen as far in love with you as I could and I have just been proven very wrong. Love is a weapon love. It can brandished for good or it can be brandished for evil. I'm scared of allowing people to get too close. But that's a conversation for a different time. We have a doctor to see about a certain wee one in there." She smiled and took his hand, aware that the conversation was difficult for Killian. He was always more than eager to talk about her past. To learn about her beginnings, as he put it. He was less forthcoming when it came to his own beginnings. She knew that Liam had been about ten years older than him and that he had been his last remaining family member. His mother had died of a mysterious ailment when Killian was about fifteen, causing him to join his brother on the navy boat a few years earlier than he had planned. Liam had been strict, but good natured, making sure that Killian had kept up with his schooling. She attributed that in part to why Killian was so well read and knowledgeable. He was able to read languages that she didn't even know existed fluently. Whenever she inquired about anything more specific though, particularly his father, he changed the subject and directed the topic to anything but himself. Having been pushed to share her history for years she knew that it wasn't the right thing to do. He would tell her when the time was right, when he felt comfortable. In the meantime though she would just love him through whatever underlying hurts plagued him, showing him everyday that there was nothing he could ever do that would make her leave him.

They walked the two blocks to Whale's office in companionable silence, holding hands and sharing brief glances. The last appointment had been confirmation but this one was going to be the one that changed everything. Killian wasn't aware how much yet because he still wasn't used to this worlds technology but Emma was more than aware of what was coming. She had intentionally not told him, instead wanting to watch his reaction to the things that were going to be happening. When they got to the office they were ushered straight into the examination room, much to Emma's joy. No more barbed remarks from Killian about Whale not getting to them in a timely manner. She put on the gown and laid down on the bed, Killian at her side. Within minutes Whale made his entrance and began the physical, testing her blood pressure and asking her questions about her pregnancy. "She's sleeping a lot. Is that normal?"

"Yes. She's experiencing a surge in hormones and her heart is working overtime to pump blood to her and the baby. Naturally that's going to take a toll on her body and make her more tired. There's nothing to worry about there."

"Good. I was beginning to think it was abnormal. She sleeps just about everywhere we go."

"To be expected. Emma, how have you been feeling?"

"I"m still having some morning sickness, and fatigue like Killian mentioned. But I feel good. My appetite is still good. I've even avoided some of the more disgusting pregnancy cravings." They all laughed a bit as Whale moved about the room moving the ultrasound machine to the side of the bed and checking her chart. He lifted her shirt up and squirted some gel onto her stomach. "Wait a second there mate. Now what's that?"

"Nothing to worry about Killian. Dr. Whale is just putting that on so that he can do the ultrasound."

"What's an ultrasound?"

"You're about to find out." She smiled a big smile at him, offering him her hand and leading him to position himself next to the table across from Whale. The doctor picked up the transducer and put it on her stomach. After a moment or two a picture appeared on the monitor next to Dr. Whale. "Emma, Killian you are looking at your baby." They looked at the image on screen and saw a small shape in the middle of the screen, about the size of a fig. Dr. Whale used his finger to point out its head, it's legs, and in the middle of its little body it's beating heart. Emma looked over at Killian and fell even more in love. His mouth was open, his eyes transfixed on the screen. She had no doubt what was going through his mind. It was written all over his face. This man had just fallen completely, hopelessly in love with his child. It didn't matter how small it was. It held his heart as surely as Emma and Henry did. "Whale, can we hear it?"

"We can try. You're between eleven and twelve weeks so we should be able to but I don't want to make any guarantees." He moved the wand around and flipped a switch on the ultrasound machine. Within moments there was a steady beating sound in the room. Tears sprung to Killian's eyes and he held Emma's hand a little bit tighter. She looked up at him, a small smile turning the right side of her mouth upward. Without being asked Whale excused himself, under the guise of needing to speak with a nurse about another patient. The steady beating continued to fill the room and Killian's eyes stayed transfixed on the screen. "Killian...hey, Killian." He tore his eyes away from the monitor and looked at Emma. His voice caught as he spoke. "That's our child?"

"That's them."

"Why didn't you tell me that we'd be able to do this?"

"I wanted this. I wanted to watch you see it and hear it for the first time. It's amazing for me. I didn't get this with Henry. It was me, alone with the prison nurse. There was no one holding my hand. No loving looks. Just a baby that I knew that I couldn't keep. So this, this is everything for me. Getting to watch you marvel is heaven."

"Are you not in awe?"

"I'm in awe of it all. You being here, the baby on the screen, the heart beating. I'm in awe of it all. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would get this. A few years back I was alone in an apartment wishing that just once I wouldn't have to spend my birthday alone. Now here I am and I've got more family than I know what to do with. I've got you and Henry, and this little one." Her eyes flitted to the monitor for a moment before returning to Killian. "I never dreamed of this either love. Never dared to after losing my Milah." He paused when he realized what he had said. His Milah. "Does it bother you when I call her that? Mine?"

"No. She was yours. I'm not jealous of a ghost Killian. You loved her. If you hadn't you wouldn't be here in this place with me. Just the same way that I know that you don't wish that there hadn't been a Neal because without him there wouldn't have been a Henry. There's an order to life Killian. Some kind of divine plan put in place and I wouldn't trade all the hell that we've walked through because it brought me to you, and you to me." He leaned down and placed a whisper soft kiss on her forehead before his eyes returned to the monitor, still in awe. His voice was nearly as soft as his kiss when he spoke. "I can't believe that we did this. That we made this." The corner of her mouth turned up as her eyes moistened slightly. She had missed this before and she didn't even know it. When she was pregnant with Henry it had been rushed appointments in the infirmary and sad ultrasounds glancing at a child that she would never get to hold. Never get to love. There were no loving words whisperered, no hand holding hers. She had never had this warmth that she felt with Killian standing next ot her. The only time that she had ever come close was when she gave Henry the true love's kiss and he woke from his curse induced slumber. There had been beautiful, magical moments in her life since then but here with Killian looking at their unborn child it was like she were experiencing love for the first time. "I love you Killian. You know that right?"

"Of course love."

"And I tell you enough?"

"Why would you ask me that? Of course you tell me enough. But more importantly you show me. Every day. All the time."

"Sometimes I worry that not having people to say it to when I was growing up makes me not say it now. I so rarely said it then because I didn't have anyone to say it to. I just don't want to not say it when I should. I don't want our kids to not hear it from their mother." She stopped when he smiled and furrowed her brow, curious as to what caused the sudden smile. "What?"

"Our kids. I just am quite fond of the sound of that lass."

"Me too." At that moment Whale came back into the room, the sound of the heartbeat still reverberating around them. "So Emma, it sounds like your baby has a strong heartbeat. At your next appointment you can decide whether you..."

"We'll figure it all out at the next appointment. About four weeks right?" He gave her an odd look after her interruption. It only took a moment for him to realize though that she didn't want Killian to know what came at the next appointment. "Right. Let me just take a quick image of the fetus for you to take home and then you can get up and we can start scheduling the next appointmnet." He did a few things around the exam room and in moments handed Emma a picture of the baby that was growing inside of her. "Is there any way that we can have another? I'd like Killian to have one." Dr. Whale printed off another and went about finishing the appointment and setting up her next. Emma didn't miss Killian tenderly taking the photo and placing it in his wallet for safe keeping.

When the appointment was over they left the office and walked back to the sheriff station to pick up her car before going home. The moment they got home they were greated by the sounds of the TV and some video game of some fashion playing in the living room. "Henry, can you come in here?"

"Mom, I'm in the middle of a game. Can't it wait."

"Games pause for a reason Henry. You can pause it or you can turn it off. Those are the choices." It was mere moments before a sullen teenager came walking into the kitchen where Emma and Killian were already in the process of gathering up the items that would be needed for dinner. "Can you get the milk out of the refrigerator?"

"You made me stop my game to get me milk that you could have gotten faster that it would have taken me to get in here?"

"No, I called you in here because you've been in school all day and I would really like to talk to my son." He went to the refrigerator and pulled it open, grabbing the milk before shutting it. His eye caught sight of something on the refrigerator door and he stopped short, door in hand. "Is that...?"

"The baby? Yeah. We had the first ultrasound today."

"Is it a boy or a girl."

"We don't know. We heard the heartbeat though." She walked over to where he was standing and did as Whale had done earlier, showing him the arms, legs, and head. She pointed out in the middle of the picture where the babies heart was located. When she was done she looked at her son, waiting expectantly for some kind of reaction. "What did you think Killian?"

"I thought it was pretty incredible. For both me and your mother. She experienced some of this with you but this is my first time getting to be a part of any of this. I feel like I'm a parent in some respects because of you but I admit that it was heartwarming to be a part of this from the beginning with this little one. If it's alright with your mother perhaps you'd like to attend the next appointment with us? Get to meet your sibling." He chose his words carefully, wary of saying anything that might make Henry feel like he was being replaced with his 'real' child. Henry looked back at the picture and then at his mother. "Would that be alright Mom?"

"Of course it would be. I don't know why I didn't think of it today. I know that you would have loved hearing the heartbeat."

"It's okay. I'm not really ready yet. But I want to go next time." She could see the eagerness dancing in his eyes, but it was masked by a hesitancy that she had no problem placing. She had been in foster homes where the parents had had their own children and they frequently pushed her aside. She knew that to some degree Henry had to be afraid of that as well. Telling him that it wouldn't happen wouldn't work. The only option that she had was to prove to him everyday that this child was in no way going to replace him. "Well kid that was really what we called you in here for. We wanted to show you before we showed anyone else. Do you want to help us make dinner or do you want to go back and play your game?" He hesitated for a moment and then sat down at the bar stool by the kitchen counter. "I'll help you guys make dinner. The game will still be there later." Henry chopped vegetables for a salad while Killian set the table, and Emma moved around the kitchen putting the meal together. When it was all complete they sat down at the table, like the family they were becoming.

As always follow/faves are appreciated and I really love getting reviews. I love knowing if people are enjoying the stories or not.


	9. Chapter 9

*** Sorry for the delay. Again. My muse left me completely and I could not figure out where I wanted to go. And once I figured it out time decided that it wanted to get away from me.

Emma knew to be watching for the change in her body but she was still taken by surprise the day that she put her jeans on not only to find that she couldn't button them, but that her stomach was starting to take on a more distinctly round shape. The bump was small but given her normally lean figure it was definitely there. She stood in front of the mirror, the same mirror where she had just weeks before put a pillow under her shirt to imagine her expanding stomach, running her fingers over the small bump. "I see you in there little one. Starting to show the world that you're there." She smiled and closed her eyes, her hand resting on her stomach. "Swan, is everything alright?" Her eyes opened and she found Killian leaning against the door-frame, eyes fixed on her. She tried to find out what his expression meant but one look in her eyes and she saw the distinct fear lurking there. "I'm fine. What's with the worried expression?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to make sure you and the baby are okay." It was moments like this that his losses marked him as surely as the scars on his skin. Moments where he worried too much. Where fear infringed on whatever joy he was able to allow himself. "Come here." He walked over to where she stood and she took his hand to rest it on her stomach. "Little one your father is having some anxiety. So why don't we show him that all is well." After moving his hand from her stomach she lifted her shirt and he was able to see the definite rounding of her stomach. "Is that the baby? You're showing?"

"Aye love." He chuckled at her use of his vernacular but never moved his eyes away from her stomach. "Does that set your mind at ease Killian? Our baby is growing well. Settling in. The little one is just fine. You don't have to worry so much. If I felt like there was anything wrong I would tell you. I promise you that."

"I guess I didn't expect your body to be changing so soon."

"Me either but a baby only takes nine months to grow so it had to happen sooner or later."

"I'm glad it's now. It's bloody amazing." His smile stretched across his face and he looked happier than she thought that she had ever seen him. He had been happy when he found out they were pregnant but there were doubts. As the weeks passed though those doubts had started waning replaced with nothing but anticipation. In the past week or so she had seen Killian and her dad talking at the station and noticed blueprints so she was certain that he was already starting planning to find a way to create a nursery for the baby. She was excited about having the baby in with them at first but was also aware that it would be necessary at some point for them to have a room for the baby. The upstairs family room was plenty big enough for another bedroom to be added onto it and she was certain that that's what he was planning. "Hey, my cell is over there. Can you grab it?"

"Of course love." He grabbed the phone from across the room and handed it back to her. "No, you keep it. Take a picture. To track the growth." He fiddled with the phone, finding the app that allowed him to take photo's, and held it in her direction. She stood sideways, holding her shirt up and pushing her stomach out. The bump was barely visible on the screen but he took the photo anyways, eager to have every moment documented.

"Killian, if you don't get out here now we're going to be late for our appointment. As it is we have to stop and pick Henry up from Regina's."

"Don't worry love. We'll get there on time. Even if we don't it's not like his office is ever very busy."

"That doesn't matter. I'm more than a little curious to see this little one again. See what surprises she has in store for us this time." He walked into the room pulling his coat on as he walked. "There you go with the assertion that she's going to be a girl again."

"Well would that be so bad?"

"Not at all love. As long as the wee one is healthy I truly don't care what gender it is. But if a girl is what you're hoping then I will join you in that desire." The words were so small but they lodged somewhere in Emma's heart. His desire that she get whatever she desires overwhelming her a bit in the moment. "Really? That's all it takes? I want it and then you want it?"

"Well yes. I suppose that is all it takes. I want you to be happy Swan. I want you to get the things in life that you want. Your happiness is paramount to me and I'd be a fool to wish for something that goes against your happiness."

"A boy would make me happy too. Either way it's ours. I just can't help imagining you with a little girl. But let me tell you what would really make me happy right now."

"What's that love?"

"If we could go to the doctors office for the ultrasound." He chuckled as she brought the conversation back around to the trip to the doctor. All of these appointments were new to him. Back in the Enchanted Forest a woman was simply pregnant until she wasn't, without the constant need of a doctor. However there were definite perks to this worlds prenatal care such as hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby while it was still in Emma. It gave him an opportunity to become attached to it before it was born. "Aye love. Let's go." He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked out to the bug and took off to Regina's. When they pulled up Emma stayed in the car while Killian went to the door. She was not eager to spend time with Regina these days. After their altercation at the party to announce the pregnancy their interactions had been brief and all about Henry. It wasn't that either of them were harboring anger towards the other. At least Emma wasn't. She just wasn't going to be the first to make the move. She was always the one seeking out Regina to fix their friendship, or whatever kind of relationship they had because of Henry. This time though Regina was the one that was going to have to make the steps to repair the friendship. After a couple of minutes waiting in the car though she decided that it was inevitable that she go into the house. Killian had disappeared inside and they were getting closer and closer to being late. She got out of the car and walked to the house, not stopping at the door but simply walking in. "Killian? Are you ready?"

"Mom, we're in here."

"In here where?"

"In the living room." She walked into the living room and found Henry sitting next to a very sad looking Regina on the couch. "Everything alright Henry?"

"Yeah, I'm just not sure I should come to the appointment. Mom is still really upset and I think that she needs me more than you do right now. I tried to explain to Killian but he didn't seem to understand. I figured that he'd want to do this with just you anyways but he seems pretty dead set on me going to the appointment. Could you explain to him why I need to stay with Mom?" Emma's eyes lowered, trying to blink away the tears that had appeared there out of nowhere. "Killian, it's okay. He can come to the next appointment." Without hesitation Killian took a step in her direction. "No, love. That doesn't work." She looked at him, eyes imploring him not to create a problem. "May I speak to you in the hallway Swan?"

"Killian, we're already going to be late."

"I used my talking phone to alert Dr. Whale to the fact that we're handling a personal matter. He said that he had a patient that he was going to have wait for after us and that he'd just move her appointment ahead of ours. We've got another hour before we have to be there. The hallway please?" She followed him into the foyer area of the large mayors mansion and waited for him to speak. "It's a bad idea to let him stay Swan?"

"Why? He wants to stay wih her and I don't want to make him do something that he doesn't want to do. There will be other appointments."

"And if she's having a bad day on the day of those appointments? Does he stay then too?"

"She just lost Robin."

"She didn't just lose him. You're sixteen weeks pregnant. He left six weeks before you got pregnant. It's been almost six months."

"If I lost you I wouldn't want people to put a time limit on how long I was upset about it."

"If you lost me I wouldn't want you wallowing in your own misery feeling sorry for yourself. And I certainly wouldn't want you letting your family and friends drop their lives while you sat holed up in your house in sweat pants eating ice cream like a teenage girl. She's the mayor Swan. She's a mother. She's got to pick herself up by the bootstraps and get herself better. Henry can't do it for her and he shouldn't have to. She's the mother. He's the child. Beyond all that he's got another mother and she needs him too."

"Killian, I understand what you're saying but I just think that Henry should make the choice. I don't want to make decisions for him."

"Why? You're his mother."

"You're right. I am." He understood the meaning of the words and took a step back. "So that's how it's to be? I'm allowed to say my piece but at the end of the day you get to make the call?"

"Sometimes. Not all the time."

"He's to be my son too Emma. I don't want to be his mothers boyfriend or the father of his siblings. I don't wish to replace Neal but I don't want to simply be a fixture with no purpose in his life."

"I want that too. I want that role for you. But do we have to exert it today?"

"He's already making too many of the calls Swan. Telling you he's going to stay here instead of asking. Taking care of Regina as though she's his child. And it's more than that..." She reached out and touched his arm, eyes imploring him to be honest with her about the cause for his insistence that Henry be present for the ultrasound. "Tell me."

"This is another big moment for us. He's already missed the first. He missed the heartbeat and the images last time. We're a family. We can't build that if he doesn't allow himself to be a part of it because he's over here tending to Regina. I've made no secret of the fact that I don't want there to be a differentiation between our child and Henry. But if he never allows himself to be a part of the family that we're building then how do I stop it? If we're ships passing in the night, as his mother would say, then how do I build that relationship with him." As much as she wanted to allow Henry to do what he waned there was no way to deny that Killian made valid points. She herself had felt a distance with Henry lately. As though his family with Regina were the primary family and her home was becoming of secondary importance. He was interested in the baby but Regina's continual sadness over losing Robin tended to take precedence in his life. "You're right. He should come." They walked back into the room and found Henry sitting on the couch next to Regina, video game controller in hand. "Did you explain it to him? It's just better for Mom when she's not alone."

"Henry, I want you to come."

"Mom, I explained why I need to stay here."

"And I understand. But I want you to come."

"You're just doing this because he's telling you too." Henry's eyes flashed with anger as he glanced at Killian, clearly seeing him as the bad guy in the situation. "No. After speaking with him, and hearing why it's important to him that you come with us, I decided that I want you to come. And I want you to pack a bag so that you can stay at the house this weekend."

"Mom, I need to be here."

"No." Regina looked up from her spot on the couch, anger starting to flicker in her eyes. "Emma, Henry has told you that he wants to stay here. Why don't you try respecting his decision?"

"Because he's coming with me. That's what I told him that he's going to do and that's what he's going to do. Have you been paying attention to why he said that he wants to stay here with you?"

"Of course. He's my child too."

"And you don't have a problem with the fact that your child is staying glued to your side because he needs to take care of you?"

"He knows I'm upset. He wants to stay close. What is so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? You're the parent. He's the child. He shouldn't be spending his time taking care of you. It's your job to take care of him." Regina sighed and looked at Emma like she was an annoying gnat. "It's been a tough time for me."

"And I understand that. It's why I haven't said anything up to this point. But it's time for things to get back to normal. Robin is gone. It's awful and you'll never be the same again. But it's been almost six months and it's time for things to start getting back to the status quo, at the very least for Henry."

"I suppose it's a coincidence that you feel this way on the day he's supposed to be going to another ultrasound for your new baby."

"Not a coincidence at all. Henry has been spending a lot of time here lately and that's great. But he has another family and it's going to be expanding. We want him to be a part of all that. From start to finish. I want him to get used to being a part of the family unit that we're creating for him. He's always going to have his family with you. I would never try to get in the way of that. But he's been spending multiple nights a week here and almost every weekend. There's very little time for us to spend as a family with him. We'd just like him to prioritize us a little bit more. Not more than you but more than taking care of you." Regina didn't like what Emma was saying but she knew that if Robin were there and the roles were reversed she would have likely felt the same way as Emma and Killian did now. Just because her chance at happily ever after had crossed the town line permanently didn't mean that the world stopped for everyone else. Especially for Henry. She had been aware that he had been spending a lot of time with her lately but being so wrapped up in her sadness she hadn't really given it much thought. She had just relished his company. Her eyes turned to Henry, who had been paying close attention to the conversation between his two mothers, and saw that there was an uncertainty laying in his eyes. He felt torn. She could see it. "Henry, do you want to go to the ultrasound?"

"You need me Mom."

"Do you want to go to the ultrasound? Taking me out of the equation. If you didn't feel like you needed to take care of me would you want to go?"

"Well yeah. I mean it's going to be my brother or sister. But that's not the point..."

"Yes, it is. That baby is going to be your family too. I'm an adult Henry. I can take care of myself. I've let you put your life on hold for too long. I'll be okay and I'm not going to revert back to the evil queen. I may still be sad but I don't need you to stay and make sure that I'm alright. I need to be able to be okay on my own."

"Are you sure that you're okay if I go?"

"I'm positive. Pack a bag like Emma said. They're right. You should spend some time with them. It's only a matter of time before the baby gets here and then things aren't going to be the same." He smiled as he came to give her a hug. "You know I'll come back if you need me."

"I never doubted it for a second." He pulled away and took off to his room to get his things together before the three of them left to take a look at their newest family member.

They were ushered back to the office right away and to their surprise Whale was unusually prompt. It seemed he hadn't liked the good natured ribbing that Killian had given him during the first appointment. "So Emma, how are things. It's been about bit since we've seen you. Not long though."

"I think everything is going well. The morning sickness if finally starting to wear off and I think the moodiness is starting to go away as well. I guess you'd have to ask Killian and Henry about that."

"Aye love. It's getting better. Although to be fair I wouldn't really dare say anything different." She laughed as she gave him a good natured slap in the shoulder. After the preliminary questions Whale gave her a moment to get situated on the bed and pulled the ultrasound machine closer. "Probably not quite as exciting this time huh?"

"I'm just as excited as I was last time. I didn't get to experience any of this with Henry. I won't take a single second for granted." Killian took her hand, eyes glued to the monitor that hadn't even been turned on yet. On the other side of the bed Henry stood, waiting for the first opportunity to see his new sibling. As Whale began to put the jelly on the stomach he noticed that she was definitely showing more than she had been, even just a week ago when he saw her at the grocery store. "Looks like you're going to have a big kid there Emma. You're definitely starting to show."

"Yeah, thank goodness we told everyone when we did. I thought I would have more time before it would be quite so obvious." They all laughed but the laughter stopped when Whale turned on the monitor and placed the transducer on her stomach. In moments they were again looking at the child growing inside of her. Both Killian and Emma looked at Henry who was completely absorbed by the image on the screen. As the ultrasound continued Whale pointed out to them the head, the hands, the feet. "Emma, I think I just figured out the reason for your early showing."

"Big baby huh?"

"Not exactly." He pointed to the screen and pointed out the baby's head. "If you look just beyond it you'll notice something else." She looked closer and after straining for a moment saw what he was talking about. "What is that? Is everything okay with the baby?" She was taken aback when a smile spread across his face. Clearly there was something wrong with her baby and he was smiling? Hardly professional behavior. "Everything is fine with the babies Emma." There was only a moment of relief before she registered what he had just said. "Excuse me? Babies? As in multiple? As in more than one?"

"Yes. It appears that you're having twins."

"How is that possible? We didn't see it last time. We didn't hear it last time."

"It would appear that it was hiding behind its sibling. Hearing the heartbeat last time was great but you don't always hear them or sometimes they sound like one. I was suspicious when you came in today because you're showing more than you would be for a single birth at this stage. But I didn't want to say anything until I had confirmation. Which your little one apparently decided to give me." Her attention turned back to the screen and she felt her emotions warring inside of her. She had had a hard enough time wrapping her head around being pregnant with one child but two. How were they going to do this? A million thoughts scrambled for top priority in her mind but when she felt Killian squeeze her hand one took precedence over all the others. She was having two of Killian's children. Not one but two. She looked up at him and saw what could only be described as bliss etched across his face. "Are you sure Whale? Like completely sure?"

"There's no doubt. Would you like to hear the heartbeats again?" She nodded and in an instant the room was filled with the sound of a heartbeat. Then another joined in. A second, clear and distinct heartbeat. Tears filled her eyes as she turned to look at Henry. "What do you think kid?"

"Two more kids? Are you ready for that Mom?"

"I guess I'm going to have to be. Are you okay with it?"

"I guess I'm going to have to be." A smile spread across his face as he echoed her words back to her. "I'm definitely okay with it Mom. It'll be fun to be an older brother and this is just more fun to be had. We're going to have to figure something out about where they're going to sleep though because the house was barely going to be big enough for one more baby." Emma laughed quietly before turning to look at Killian, who was still holding her hand tightly in his own. "Henry, can you wait outside with Dr. Whale for a minute. I think the big bad pirate needs a moment." As Whale and Henry left the room she took the opportunity to soak in Killian's face. He was happy no doubt but she saw the tears that were dancing on the rims of his eyes. She wanted to believe that they were tears of joy but something pricked at the back of her mind. Years of being left alone. Years of being abandoned, especially when things got to be too much. "What does that face mean?"

"Two?"

"Two." He pulled the stool over to her side, never letting go of her hand, and turned back to the monitor. The image of his children still played on the screen and he felt as thought he couldn't breathe, in the best possible way. So many years of darkness, believing that it was all he'd ever get. He had felt blessed with the prospect of one child. Two was more than he could even fathom. Somewhere inside of him he knew that he should be a little bit more afraid than he was. Henry had been right about there not being enough room and the relationship with Emma was still new. No matter how much he tried to dredge up the fears though they wouldn't come. He was completely confident in his relationship with Emma. He knew that his life was going to be with her. She was his happy ending and their children were a part of that. Henry and these two new little ones. "So what do you think?"

"I think we're going to be very tired for a very long time. And I couldn't be happier."

"You're okay with it?"

"Of course love. Our love didn't just create one life but two. How could I not be okay with that?" She smiled as they both turned to look back at the monitor. To look at their children. The heartbeats reverberated through the room nearly putting them in a trance. It was five minutes before Henry came in and the appointment continued. Emma paid attention but her mind was firmly on the fact that she was going to be having twins. Two little babies to love and lavish with the attention she'd been unable to give to Henry. Like Killian she tried to be more afraid but found that her excitement and joy were so prominent that fear couldn't make its way in. The appointment ended smoothly and they headed home to pizza and Netflix. That night, as she lay wrapped in Killian's arms, she dreamt of creeping children playing on the deck of the Jolly Roger with their parents looking proudly on. It was the soundest sleep she'd had in weeks.

As always follow/faves are appreciated and I really love getting reviews. I love knowing if people are enjoying the stories or not.


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